Norway Wins Men's, Women's Team Sprints
Sun, Feb 17, 2008 - By US Ski Team
LIBEREC, Czech Republic (Feb. 17) - Norwegian teams won the men's and women's classic technique team sprints Sunday. No U.S. team made it into finals.
Simen Oestensen, who was teamed with Martin Johnsrud Sundby, nipped Finn Ville Nousiainen at the finish to give Norway-2 the men's 6x1.4K victory in 21:50.4. Third place went to Norway-1 (John Kristian Dahl and Eldar Roenning). USA-2 (Chris Cook - Rhineland, WI; Kris Freeman - Andover, NH) was 15th in the field of 29 and USA-1 (Andy Newell - Shaftsbury, VT; Torin Koos - Leavenworth, WA) 17th.
In the women's 4x1.4K race, Marit Bjoergen and Astrid Jacobsen of Norway -1 were the winners in 16:13.6. Finland-1 was second and Russia-1 finished third. The U.S. tandem of Laura Valaas (Wenatchee, WA) and Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK) finished 13th.
"In these team events, you have to be able to hammer it for three or four minutes and do it a couple of times in quick order, and we just didn't do it today," U.S. Head Coach Pete Vordenberg said. "We had good skis, and the athletes certainly did their best, but we've got to work more on that endurance."
The next World Cup stop is Falun, Sweden, for the Swedish Ski Games Saturday and Sunday with pursuits and relays.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 VIESSMANN FIS CROSS COUNTRY WORLD CUP
Liberec, CZE - Feb. 17, 2008
Classic Technique Team Sprint (10 teams made finals)
MMen's 6x1.4K
1. Norway-2 (Sundby/Oestensen), 21:50.4
2. Finland-1 (Jauhjaervi/Nousiainen), 21:50.8
3. Norway-1 (Dahl/Roenning), 21:55.9
4. Russia-2 (Parfenov/Rotchev), 22:05.0
5. Sweden-1 (Rickardsson/Joensson), 22:11.7
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15. USA-2 (Chris Cook - Rhinelander, WI/Kris Freeman - Andover, NH)
17. USA-1 (Torin Koos - Leavenworth, WA/Andy Newell - Shaftsbury, VT)
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Women's 4x1.4K
1. Norway-1 (Bjoergen/Jacobsen), 16:13.6.
2. Finland-1 (Saarinen/Muranen), 16:24.9
3. Russia-1 (Shapovalova/Matveeva), 16:37.1
4. Sweden-1 (Kalla/Ingemarsdotter), 16:49.6
5. Russia-2 (Korosteleva/Rotcheva), 16:58.0
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13. USA (Laura Valaas - Wenatchee, WA/Kikkan Randall - Anchorage, AK)