It was her second career World Cup win, the first since 2007, but Kikkan Randall appeared at the Liberec, Czech Republic sprint final to be getting better with age. At 27 Randall has a few seasons left, particularly if she keeps this kind of speed up.
“Kikkan skied smart and relaxed and was smiling and waving for the YV cameras when being introduced at the start,” said U.S. coach Chris Grover. “She seems just unstoppable now.”
With the win she now leads the sprint standings having placed second at Dusseldorf, third in Davos and fifth at Toblach.
The course was salted throughout the race to combat rain – heavy at times – that fell. The best conditions of the day were during finals.
Randall out sprinted Sweden’s Hanna Falk and Norwegian Celine Brun-Lie to the finish of the Liberec race. Norway’s favorite for the event, Marit Bjorgen crashed out in the semi-finals and World Cup overall leader Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland skipped the event while recovering from the brutal Tour de Ski.
Grover said Randall’s experienced played a role as her familiarity with the Liberec course helped her avoid being “pinched” at critical turns on the course.
The men’s win went to Ola Vigen Hattestad of Norway with a comfortable margin ahead of Italian Federico Pelligrino and Czech Dusan Kozjesk.
Andy Newell led the U.S. men in the race in 13th place.
Gepa photo
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| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | 3 | 1365857 | RANDALL Kikkan | 1982 | USA | ||
| 2 | 2 | 3505405 | FALK Hanna | 1989 | SWE | ||
| 3 | 25 | 3425275 | BRUN-LIE Celine | 1988 | NOR | ||
| 4 | 13 | 1276714 | MAJDIC Petra | 1979 | SLO | ||
| 5 | 5 | 3425365 | FALLA Maiken Caspersen | 1990 | NOR | ||
| 6 | 15 | 3195059 | BARTHELEMY Laure | 1988 | FRA | ||
| 7 | 1 | 1303777 | BJOERGEN Marit | 1980 | NOR | ||
| 8 | 14 | 3505481 | BRODIN Hanna | 1990 | SWE | ||
| 9 | 6 | 3505445 | OEBERG Jennie | 1989 | SWE | ||
| 10 | 17 | 3425404 | EIDE Mari | 1989 | NOR | ||
| 11 | 9 | 1222200 | LONGA Marianna | 1979 | ITA | ||
| 12 | 10 | 3565005 | VISNAR Katja | 1984 | SLO | ||
| 13 | 7 | 1255471 | MURANEN Pirjo | 1981 | FIN | ||
| 14 | 12 | 3105040 | GAIAZOVA Daria | 1983 | CAN | ||
| 15 | 18 | 1138877 | FOLLIS Arianna | 1977 | ITA | ||
| 16 | 20 | 1250524 | GENUIN Magda | 1979 | ITA | ||
| 17 | 8 | 3205224 | KOLB Hanna | 1991 | GER | ||
| 18 | 11 | 3425177 | GJEITNES Kari Vikhagen | 1985 | NOR | ||
| 19 | 22 | 3485013 | NOVIKOVA Valentina | 1984 | RUS | ||
| 20 | 24 | 3155041 | NYVLTOVA Eva | 1986 | CZE | ||
| 21 | 4 | 3515087 | VAN DER GRAAFF Laurien | 1987 | SUI | ||
| 22 | 16 | 3565002 | FABJAN Vesna | 1985 | SLO | ||
| 23 | 28 | 3185258 | LAUKKANEN Mari | 1987 | FIN | ||
| 24 | 29 | 3515004 | BUCHER Silvana | 1984 | SUI | ||
| 25 | 30 | 3185168 | NISKANEN Kerttu | 1988 | FIN | ||
| 26 | 19 | 3105013 | CRAWFORD Chandra | 1983 | CAN | ||
| 27 | 21 | 3185137 | KYLLOENEN Anne | 1987 | FIN | ||
| 28 | 23 | 3425221 | GROENVOLL Maria Nysted | 1985 | NOR | ||
| 29 | 26 | 3155111 | GROHOVA Karolina | 1990 | CZE | ||
| 30 | 27 | 3505231 | ERIKSSON Mia | 1987 | SWE | ||
| 31 | 31 | 3195080 | LOCATELLI Manon | 1989 | FRA | ||
| 32 | 32 | 3185005 | PERAELAE Kirsi | 1982 | FIN | ||
| 33 | 33 | 1365178 | BOTTOMLEY Esther | 1983 | AUS | ||
| 34 | 34 | 1345390 | VINA Emilie | 1982 | FRA | ||
| 35 | 35 | 3295000 | BROCARD Elisa | 1984 | ITA | ||
| 36 | 36 | 1283116 | ANDERSSON Lina | 1981 | SWE | ||
| 37 | 37 | 3485167 | NARYSHKINA Natalja | 1984 | RUS | ||
| 38 | 38 | 3505260 | PAJALA Magdalena | 1988 | SWE | ||
| 39 | 39 | 3295167 | VUERICH Gaia | 1991 | ITA | ||
| 40 | 40 | 3205075 | HERRMANN Denise | 1988 | GER | ||
| 41 | 41 | 3565034 | CEBASEK Alenka | 1989 | SLO | ||
| 42 | 42 | 3195003 | WEIBEL Caroline | 1983 | FRA | ||
| 43 | 43 | 3485832 | KASHINA Alina | 1987 | RUS | ||
| 44 | 44 | 3395010 | PORMEISTER Piret | 1985 | EST | ||
| 45 | 45 | 3095004 | MALCHEVA Teodora | 1983 | BUL | ||
| 46 | 46 | 3155257 | PESINOVA Jitka | 1977 | CZE | ||
| 47 | 47 | 3785008 | KREIVENAITE Lina | 1988 | LTU | ||
| 48 | 48 | 3435040 | GALEWICZ Martyna | 1989 | POL | ||
| Did not start | |||||||
| 1002 | 3485030 | SCHUCHKINA Olga | 1980 | RUS | |||
| 1001 | 3485032 | KOROSTELEVA Natalia | 1981 | RUS | |||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | 10 | 3420077 | HATTESTAD Ola Vigen | 1982 | NOR | ||
| 2 | 6 | 3290326 | PELLEGRINO Federico | 1990 | ITA | ||
| 3 | 7 | 3150035 | KOZISEK Dusan | 1983 | CZE | ||
| 4 | 16 | 1223267 | PASINI Renato | 1977 | ITA | ||
| 5 | 5 | 3180114 | STRANDVALL Matias | 1985 | FIN | ||
| 6 | 3 | 3500407 | MODIN Jesper | 1988 | SWE | ||
| 7 | 2 | 3420131 | KJOELSTAD Johan | 1983 | NOR | ||
| 8 | 29 | 3390050 | SIMONLATSER Timo | 1986 | EST | ||
| 9 | 13 | 3500664 | HALFVARSSON Calle | 1989 | SWE | ||
| 10 | 20 | 3200014 | WENZL Josef | 1984 | GER | ||
| 11 | 4 | 1319200 | LARSSON Mats | 1980 | SWE | ||
| 12 | 19 | 3500330 | PETERSON Teodor | 1988 | SWE | ||
| 13 | 11 | 3530005 | NEWELL Andrew | 1983 | USA | ||
| 14 | 17 | 3290004 | SCOLA Fulvio | 1982 | ITA | ||
| 15 | 28 | 3200210 | EISENLAUER Sebastian | 1990 | GER | ||
| 16 | 1 | 3500170 | BRYNTESSON Robin | 1985 | SWE | ||
| 17 | 15 | 3200096 | HEUN Daniel | 1986 | GER | ||
| 18 | 22 | 3420798 | NORTHUG Tomas | 1990 | NOR | ||
| 19 | 23 | 3390008 | SAAREPUU Anti | 1983 | EST | ||
| 20 | 24 | 1268566 | EIGENMANN Christoph | 1979 | SUI | ||
| 21 | 12 | 3420961 | KROGH Finn Haagen | 1990 | NOR | ||
| 22 | 14 | 3420002 | DAHL John Kristian | 1981 | NOR | ||
| 23 | 18 | 3510207 | KINDSCHI Joeri | 1986 | SUI | ||
| 24 | 21 | 3290007 | HOFER David | 1983 | ITA | ||
| 25 | 25 | 3050043 | WURM Harald | 1984 | AUT | ||
| 26 | 8 | 3420365 | BRANDSDAL Eirik | 1986 | NOR | ||
| 27 | 9 | 3480021 | PETUKHOV Alexey | 1983 | RUS | ||
| 28 | 26 | 3050088 | BADER Markus | 1988 | AUT | ||
| 29 | 27 | 3430103 | STAREGA Maciej | 1990 | POL | ||
| 30 | 30 | 1298054 | PASINI Fabio | 1980 | ITA | ||
| 31 | 32 | 3190162 | GUEDON Pierre | 1989 | FRA | ||
| 31 | 31 | 3480322 | PARFENOV Andrey | 1987 | RUS | ||
| 33 | 33 | 3510067 | LECCARDI Valerio | 1984 | SUI | ||
| 34 | 34 | 3180221 | JYLHAE Martti | 1987 | FIN | ||
| 35 | 35 | 3190070 | MIRANDA Cyril | 1985 | FRA | ||
| 36 | 36 | 3200057 | WUENSCH Oliver | 1986 | GER | ||
| 37 | 37 | 3180250 | PENTSINEN Anssi | 1986 | FIN | ||
| 38 | 38 | 3180228 | PAAKKONEN Lasse | 1986 | FIN | ||
| 39 | 39 | 1363820 | FURRER Philip | 1983 | SUI | ||
| 40 | 40 | 1175058 | KOUKAL Martin | 1978 | CZE | ||
| 41 | 41 | 3480739 | PANZHINSKIY Alexander | 1989 | RUS | ||
| 42 | 42 | 3100097 | VALJAS Len | 1988 | CAN | ||
| 43 | 43 | 3390003 | KUMMEL Peeter | 1982 | EST | ||
| 44 | 44 | 3390056 | KOLLO Andres | 1988 | EST | ||
| 45 | 45 | 3420909 | GOLBERG Paal | 1990 | NOR | ||
| 46 | 46 | 3390033 | EINASTE Kein | 1985 | EST | ||
| 47 | 47 | 3050034 | STOCKINGER Martin | 1984 | AUT | ||
| 48 | 48 | 1310470 | KRECZMER Maciej | 1981 | POL | ||
| 49 | 49 | 3780015 | VAICIULIS Modestas | 1989 | LTU | ||
| 50 | 50 | 3150070 | RAZYM Ales | 1986 | CZE | ||
| 51 | 51 | 3190142 | GAILLARD Cyril | 1986 | FRA | ||
| 52 | 52 | 3480500 | BOLOTOV Nikolay | 1986 | RUS | ||
| 53 | 53 | 3190025 | DARRAGON Roddy | 1983 | FRA | ||
| 54 | 54 | 3150450 | MAKA Daniel | 1992 | CZE | ||
| 55 | 55 | 3510206 | TAMBORNINO Eligius | 1986 | SUI | ||
| 56 | 56 | 3780005 | NOVOSELSKI Aleksei | 1985 | LTU | ||
| 57 | 57 | 3500318 | JOHANSSON Patrik | 1987 | SWE | ||
| 58 | 58 | 3180146 | LASSILA Kalle | 1985 | FIN | ||
| 59 | 59 | 3560062 | KLAVZAR Bostjan | 1990 | SLO | ||
| 60 | 60 | 3040080 | WATSON Callum | 1989 | AUS | ||
| 61 | 61 | 3430136 | GAZUREK Sebastian | 1990 | POL | ||
| 62 | 62 | 1281952 | TAGSCHERER Zoltan | 1976 | HUN | ||
| 63 | 63 | 3180227 | COLLIANDER Niklas | 1985 | FIN | ||
| 64 | 64 | 3040028 | VAN DER PLOEG Mark | 1985 | AUS | ||
| Did not start | |||||||
| 1003 | 3480287 | DEVJATIAROV Mickail Jun. | 1985 | RUS | |||
| 1002 | 3480436 | KRIUKOV Nikita | 1985 | RUS | |||
| 1001 | 3420089 | PETTERSEN Oeystein | 1983 | NOR | |||
About the Author: Hank McKee
In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”
