Early Season Review and What's to Come

READ IMPORTANT INFO FOR QUALIFICATION HERE.
(qualification info below)

416 days until the 2010 Games. 8 weeks and days until the 2009 World Championships. 5 weeks and days until Junior Worlds/U-23.

Outcome goal: podiums.

Process goal: Make each day count – train well, rest well, stay healthy, give everything.

The season is off to a solid start. We believed our preparation would have given us a few better results in the first period of both the World Cup and Continental Cup. Never the less the results were solid, the training was very good, and our confidence looking forward toward the bulk of the season and the season’s biggest goals is as high as ever.

Here are the USA’s top 30 results on the World Cup so far and the USA’s top 5 results on the Continental Cup:

WC:

4^th Relay (Koos/Newell) – Dusseldorf

11^th Newell – Kuusamo

11^th Newell - Dusseldorf

20^th Freeman – Gallivare

16^th Freeman – Kuusamo

23^rd Randall – Kuusamo

26^th Randall – Davos

26^th Newell – Davos

29^th Freeman – Davos

Cont Cup:

3^rd Arritola – West Yellowstone Classical

4^th Smyth – West Yellowstone Classical

3^rd Nygren – West Yellowstone Classical

4^th Hoffman – West Yellowstone Classical

5^th Southam – West Yellowstone Classical

1^st Arritola – West Yellowstone Skate

4^th Compton – West Yellowstone Skate

2^nd Zimmermann – West Yellowstone Skate

3^rd Kuzzy – West Yellowstone Skate

4^th Southam – West Yellowstone Skate

5^th Elliott – West Yellowstone Skate

1^st Compton – Vernon skate

3^rd Stephen – Vernon skate

4^th Zimmermann – Vernon skate

1^st Valaas – Vernon sprints

4^th Haugen – Vernon sprints

1^st Compton – Vernon 2 skate

4^th Stephen – Vernon 2 skate

5^th Mannix – Vernon 2 skate

6^th Hoffmann (1^st junior) – Vernon 2 skate

2^nd Smyth – Vernon 2 sprint

3^rd Valaas – Vernon 2 sprint

2^nd Haugen – Vernon 2 sprint

3^rd Sinnott – Vernon 2 sprint

5^th Kuzzy – Vernon 2 sprint

3^rd Southam – Vernon 2 classical

Some had results that are not listed here, which for them were their best results ever. And some had some results listed here that were disappointing. Results don’t tell the whole story and these results are certainly not the final story – but results do represent the bottom line. The first period of racing is behind us. The bulk and the best is yet to come. Better believe that.

Here is what is coming up race wise:

US Nationals in Anchorage from January 3 – 8.

Whistler World Cup Jan 16 – 18

Otepaa World Cup Jan 24 – 25

Junior Worlds and Under-23 Worlds in Praz de Lys, France Jan 28 – Feb 6

Russia World Cup Jan 31 – Feb 1

Italy World Cup Feb 13 – 14

World Championships Feb 19 – Mar 1

And then the Spring World Cup begins with 8 more races and 4 more venues all in Scandinavia as well as a European Continental Cup tour.

You make it happen – not just on the day, but everyday, starting today.

That is why it is called Team Today.

Important Notes:

To race a World Cup you must have a sub 90 FIS point race (women) or sub 60 FIS point race (men). To race in the nations group (Whistler WC) you must have sub 120 point FIS race. This is within the last year of the competition to be raced. For the full WC rules:

http://www.fis-ski.com/data/document/rules-cc-0809-eall.pdf

Check your FIS point results and standing:

http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/cross-country/fispoints.html

Qualification for Whistler WC, JWC/U23, World Champs, etc:

http://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/sports/crosscountry/advancement.html

(scroll down for all Qualification criteria)

To see your USSA rank:

http://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/other/quicktools.html?path=2

Selection will be oriented toward short and long term international success. Funding will be tight. Avoid the bubble.