New records set in frist ever SkiErg World Sprints

Fri, Nov  20, 2009 - By Meredith Haff

November 19, 2009 – Morrisville, VT – In less than 4 minutes, world records were broken and history was made as two US Biathletes, Jennifer Wygant and Zachary Hall, skied their way to victory in the first annual SkiErg World Sprints.

“The race was tough… My main goal was to sustain a consistent pace through the entire race. However, I also had some teammates go before me, so I had some times to try and beat” explains Wygant. Wygant held on to a 3.5 second lead over her closest competition, with a final time of 3:45.3. Hall completed the 1000 meters in 3:14.6. More details and results can be found at http://www.skierg.com/news.

Over 400 participants skied 1000 meters on the Concept2 SkiErg, an indoor training tool that makes it possible for Nordic skiers to race without snow on a fair measurable course. Each SkiErg includes a self-calibrating Performance Monitor that gives skiers accurate, comparable feedback. This allows skiers to assess output, monitor progress, and compare scores with others. As Hall noted, “since there are few ways to consistently measure fitness against athletes with whom you do not regularly train, it's great to have a tool like the SkiErg to set up time trials or fun races to see how you stack up.”

Skiers raced at one of over 30 satellite locations, from Idaho to Norway, and submitted their best times to Concept2 to be ranked in the SkiErg World Sprints. Both Wygant and Hall raced in Lake Placid, New York, where they are hopefuls training for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Athletes of all ages, from age 9 to 77, participated with the single goal of racing their best time. George Hall, 74, set a new world record for his age group with a time of 4:21.7. “The Sprints were very different with so many others there and so much vocal encouragement. It was a much better output than I ever did alone!”

Concept2, the leading manufacturer of racing oars and rowing machines, has experience with indoor racing for outdoor pursuits. The annual C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championship, hosted each February, challenges rowers to 2000-meter sprints on the Concept2 Indoor Rower. US Olympic and World Team athletes began the championship as a way to break up the monotony of winter training with some competition. For skiers, the SkiErg World Sprints allows athletes to measure their fitness just before the competitive racing season begins.

The SkiErg World Sprints were open to anyone with access to a SkiErg, which encouraged both skiers and fitness enthusiasts to race. The low-impact, high calorie-burning exercise of skiing is suitable for all ages and abilities, making it a terrific exercise for the entire body. More information on the SkiErg is available at concept2.com/ski.
Concept2 was founded by Dick and Peter Dreissigacker in 1976. Fresh from Olympic training, the two brothers designed and manufactured carbon fiber racing oars, then went on to create the world’s first airresistance indoor rower. The SkiErg, launched in 2009, builds upon Concept2’s years of experience in designing and manufacturing high-performance training equipment. For more information about Concept2, visit concept2.com.