Ski Racing Roundup: Pragelato test, women's ski jumping, 2005/2006 calendar

Ski Racing Roundup: Pragelato test, women’s ski jumping, 2005/2006 calendar{mosimage}This winter, skiracing.com will be home to weekly news roundups, leading you to regional and international developments you may have missed. Following our website re-launch on October 21, you can check in each Wednesday for a roundup of the latest nordic competition news. If you have suggestions for the our site, contact the editor at webeditor@insideinc.com, and if you have an idea for Mark Eller’s nordic roundups, he looks forward to receiving your comments at meller@insideinc.com.

2006 Olympic jumps ready to be used, blessed

This weekend will see the first use of the new jumping facility in Pragelato, Italy, according to a news release posted at the official website of the Torino games. The K95 jump is the same one that will be used in the next 2006 Winter Olympics. The first trial jumps will occur on Saturday, October 9th, and will be immediately followed by a religious ceremony blessing the new facility.

World Cup races in Canada and China a possibility

Fasterskier.com reports that the International Ski Federation’s draft for the 2005/2006 Olympic and World Cup season includes races in Canada, Japan and China Click here for the story. If approved, Canada would get December 2005 races in Vernon (Silver Star) and Canmore. The World Cup finale would be in Sapporo, Japan in March 2006 (this would also be pre-Worlds). The World Cup committee met in Zurich on October 3rd to discuss the suggestions and make their recommendation that would need final approval at the FIS Council on November 12.

…And we say ‘how high?’

A website devoted to women’s ski jumping launched (so to speak) earlier this year. jumplikeagirl.com plans to offer news reports about the newly FIS-approved women’s series, and is already loaded with essays and images. The site reports that producers of a documentary film about women’s jumping are working closely with the website www.womensskijumpingUSA.com, and that two of the Park City skiers, Lindsey Van and Jessica Jerome, will be prominently featured.

David Chamberlain switches to Atomic

According to a release from Rick Halling, nordic director of Atomic USA, last year’s overall NorAm Series Champion and two time All American Dave Chamberlain has switched to Atomic skis for the upcoming winter. ‘The Atomics have all had a very good feel to them, a fast feel. It is this consistency among the skis, both skate and classic that made me choose Atomics for my race skis.’

USST cross-country squad ramps up training

U.S. cross country skiers have concluded an intensive two-week training camp at and around the U.S. Olympic Training Center outside San Diego, California. Training at sea level for more than a week “is just what we were looking for,” said Coach Trond Nystad.

The camp closely follows a nearly one-month camp on snow in New Zealand (at The Snow Farm outside the town of Wanaka) and a summer of daily sessions at the residence program in Park City, Utah (elevation 7,000 feet). The entire team made the trip Down Under, except for Carl Swenson (Park City, Utah), a pro mountain biker in summer who was competing in the U.S. championships. (A handful of college-age athletes had to depart early in order to attend classes.)

“Carl’s going to rejoin the Team when we get back to Park City,” Nystad said. “He’s going to take a little time off and then get back at it with us. I’ve got no concerns about him being in shape.”

Meanwhile, Nystad said the dry-land workouts are showing that his athletes are continuing to improve. “We’re excited about what’s going on. We’ve had nice weather and the training’s been very good. This is a great place for intensity work…

“We’ve had a lot of intensity at sea level … five to seven sessions in the first four or five days, and we’ll have more. It’s been a lot of hard intensity,” the coach said. “It’s our first time in San Diego and it’s definitely been exactly what we wanted.”

The cross country World Cup season opens October 23-24 with sprints along the Rhine River in Dusseldorf, Germany, but U.S. skiers will skip the openers.

Previous Ski Racing Roundups:

INTERNATIONAL, September 15, 2004

DOMESTIC, September 28, 2004

NORDIC, September 29, 2004

INTERNATIONAL, September 30, 2004

DOMESTIC, October 5, 2004