Stephen Third in U-23 Championships
Fri, Feb 29, 2008 - By US Ski Team
MALLES, Italy (Feb. 28) The U.S. Ski Team's Liz Stephen (East Montpelier, VT/Burke Mountain Academy) made history Thursday, taking bronze in the women's 15K mass start in the Under-23 Cross Country World Championships in Italy as three Americans finished in the top 11. It was the second straight year U.S. women have medaled at the Championships.
Stephen, a student at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, added another notch to her podium status, landing in one of three coveted spots six times already this season at competitions including U.S. SuperTour races, Canadian NorAms and a silver medal at the U.S. Cross Country Championships in January.
"This is huge for us," said U.S. Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner. "Not long ago distance events and women's results were glaring weaknesses. Last year Laura Valaas took silver at U23 in the sprint and now Liz has taken bronze in a distance race."
Taz Mannix (Talkeetna, AK/U.S. Ski Team/APU Nordic) followed Stephen in eighth and Morgan Arritola (Fairfield, ID/U.S. Ski Team/Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) was 11th. Russian Olga Tiagai won the women's race followed by Silia Tarvonen of Finland in second.
In the men's 30K, Mike Sinnott (Sun Valley, ID/ Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/The Factory Team/Dartmouth College) led U.S. athletes in 30th. Switzerland's Dario Cologna won the men's race followed by Russian Ilia Chernousov in second and Maurice Manificat of France in third.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
U-23 CROSS COUNTRY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Malles, ITA - Feb. 28, 2008
Men's 30K
1. Dario Cologna, Switzerland, 1:07:22.6
2. Ilia Chernousov, Russia, 1:07:23.4
3. Maurice Manificat, France, 1:07:25.2
4. Sergey Cherepanov, Kazakhstan, 1:07:35.1
5. Petter Eliassen, Norway, 1:07:44.5
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30. Mike Sinnott, Sun Valley, ID, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/The Factory Team/Dartmouth College, 1:10:46.9
35. Ben True, Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College, 1:11:43.5
62. Karl Nygren, Prior Lake, MN, University of Colorado, 1:17:40.8
DNS: Tyson Flaharty, Fairbanks, AK, Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
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Women's 15K
1. Olga Tiagai, Russia, 37:03.4
2. Silja Tarvonen, Finland, 37:24.2
3. Liz Stephen, East Montpelier, VT, U.S. Ski Team/Burke Mountain Academy, 37:25.1
4. Anouk Faivre Picon, France, 37:26.4
5. Virginia De Martin Topranin, Italy, 37:27.0
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8. Taz Mannix, Talkeetna, AK, U.S. Ski Team/APU Nordic, 37:35.9
11. Morgan Arritola, Fairfield, ID, U.S. Ski Team/Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, 37:50.3
36. Evelyn Dong, Bend, OR, The Factory Team/XC Oregon, 40:20.5
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