Cross Country: Newell seventh in Whistler

The U.S Cross Country Ski Team’s Andy Newell led the American sprinters yesterday finishing seventh at a World Cup race in Whistler, BC. Five more Americans were in the finals.
The U.S Cross Country Ski Team’s Andy Newell led the American sprinters yesterday finishing seventh at a World Cup race in Whistler, BC. Five more Americans were in the finals.

Teamates Chris Cook (21st), Torin Koos (23rd), Colin Rodgers (27th) and Garrott Kuzzy (29th) joined Newell in the top 30. Emil Joensson of Sweden won the event, followed by Norway’s Ola Vigen Hattestad in second and German Josef Wenzl in third.

Newell was looking good with a win in the quarterfinal round, then fell on a problematic corner, landing him in the B final.

“Unfortunately I did go down, which is frustrating to have another crash under my belt for the season. But, the good news is I am feeling really fit right now. It will come together one of these days,” Newell said. “I felt really good in the B final, so I feel like if I were to have been in the A final it would have been a good day to get a podium.”

Kikkan Randall led the American women in 14th at the site of the 2010 Olympic nordic events.

“I was really happy to be in it in my quarterfinal. Unfortunately I lost my second spot over the last 30 meters, but I felt really good and was really close to making it and moving on to the next heat,” Randall said.

The sprinters will be back in action on Sunday in the team event.

“The team sprint is going to be awesome. We have a really good chance of being on the podium,” Newell said. “It’s also awesome to be able to be on the Olympic course. It skied really well and had a lot of really good striding sections. It’s long, so there are plenty of places to pass. It was a sweet course to race.”

Cross country races continue today in Whistler with a men’s 30K and a women’s 15K

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2009 VIESSMANN CROSS COUNTRY FIS WORLD CUP
Whistler, BC – Jan. 16, 2009
Classic Sprint

Men’s
1. Emil Joensson, Sweden
2. Ola Vigen Hattestad, Norway
3. Josef Wenzl, Germany
4. Nikita Kriukov, Russia
5. Renato Pasini, Italy
–
7. Andy Newell, Shaftsburry, VT
21. Chris Cook, Rhinelander, WI
23. Torin Koos, Leavenworth, WA
27 Colin Rodgers, Ketchum, ID
29. Garrott Kuzzy, Hayward, WI