Recap: FIS races in Beitostoelen, Bruksvallarna and Muonio

Thu, Nov  20, 2008 - By FIS

The past weekend, the World Cup athletes were comparing their current shapes in several FIS races in the North of Europe. In Beitostoelen (NOR), the national opening for the Norwegian Cross-Country skiers and biathletes took place with the added participation of some Slovenien and Swiss athletes. Impressive were the performances of Marit Bjoergen (NOR) who claimed victory in the free and classical technique distance races as well that of the only 19-year-old Marthe Kristoffersen (NOR) who won the classical sprint race, finished 2nd in the 10 km free technique  race and took 4th in the 5 km classical  competition.

The Swedish athletes were competing in Bruksvallarna (SWE) together with French, Polish and Canadian athletes. Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) and Anders Soedergren (SWE) were dominating the races both in the classical and free technique.

In Muonio, in north Finland, several World Cup athletes from Germany, Italy, Russia, Slovenia and Finland met each other at the traditional pre-World Cup season FIS races. German Tobias Angerer, who won the overall World Cup title twice (seasons 05/06 and 06/07), showed a great shape in the classical distance race and confirmed his good results from the summer test races.

Here is a summary of the winners from the FIS races in Beitostoelen, Bruksvallarna and Muonio:

Beitostoelen
Sprint Free technique: Marthe Kristoffersen (NOR) & Petter Northug (NOR)
Distance race in free technique 10/15 km: Marit Bjoergen (NOR) & Geier Ludwig Aasen Ouren (NOR
Distance race in classical technique 5/10 km: Marit Bjoergen (NOR) & Eldar Roenning (NOR)

Bruksvallarna
Distance race in free technique 10/15 km; Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) & Anders Soedergren (SWE)Distance race in classical technique 10/15 km: Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) & Anders Soedergren (SWE)

Muonio
Sprint classical technique:  Petra Majdic (SLO) & Nikita Kriukov (RUS)
Distance race in free technique 10/15 km: Claudia Nystad (GER) & Alexander Legkov (RUS)
Distance race in classical technique 10/15 km: Steffi Böhler (GER) & Tobias Angerer (GER)