Norwegian Championships conclude in Narvik
The Attacking Vikings of the men’s and women’s Norwegian national teams converged on the northern coastal town of Narvik for the 2017 Norwegian National Championships March 29 – April 2. Narvik is also planning enter a bid to host the 2025 World Ski Championships and many athletes and fans were spreading the word by using #vmnarvik2025 in their social media posts of the event and the spectacular views from the slopes.
Racing got underway with men’s and women’s alpine combined action on March 29. In the women’s race, junior and reigning Europa Cup giant slalom champion Kristin Lysdahl took the win with a combined time of 1:57.75 seconds, a full second ahead of second place finisher, 17-year-old Marte Monsen. 1.52 seconds back in third place was Thea Louise Stjernesund giving the top three places to junior skiers.
On the men’s side, Rasmus Windingstad took the victory with a combined time of 1:55.28 seconds, 0.14 seconds ahead of World Cup star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde in second and 0.20 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Sebastian Foss-Solevaag. Fastest junior on the day went to Joachim Jagge Lindstoel in fifth place, 0.32 seconds off of the winning pace.
Super-G was next on the agenda as Maria Therese Tviberg took the women’s race with a time of 1:18.08 seconds, 0.51 seconds ahead of Lysdahl in second and 0.73 seconds ahead of Hannah Saethereng in third. Lysdahl was also the fastest junior.
Stian Saugestad managed to steal the men’s super-G title with a winning time of 1:14.28 seconds, 0.58 seconds ahead of 2016 World Cup super-G champion Kilde in second. Third place went to Denmark’s Christoffer Faarup, 0.78 seconds back. Fastest junior honors went to Aage Solheim in ninth place, 1.64 seconds off the pace.
In the women’s downhill the following day, Tviberg took her second title of the series with a time of 1:08.69 seconds, 0.22 seconds ahead of newly-crowned Europa Cup overall champion Kristina Riis-Johannessen in second and 0.26 seconds ahead of Lysdahl in third. Lysdahl was also the fastest junior.
The men’s downhill title went to Kilde, who squeaked out the win with a time of 1:19.24 seconds, just 0.10 seconds ahead of Saugestad in second and 1.06 seconds ahead of Faarup in third. Lindstoel was the fastest junior in eighth place, 1.40 seconds back.
As the series moved into the tech races, World Cup regular Ragnhild Mowinckel took the women’s GS title with a combined time of 2:12.92 seconds, 0.88 seconds ahead of Lysdahl in second and 1.34 seconds ahead of another World Cup star, Nina Loeseth, in third. Lysdahl was once again the fastest junior.
The men’s GS saw Attacking Viking and 2017 World Championship bronze medalist Leif Kristian Haugen take the win with a combined time of 2:14.88 seconds, 0.73 seconds ahead of Windingstad in second and 1.11 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Patrick Haugen Viesten. Lindstoel was once again the fastest junior in fifth place, 1.87 seconds off of Haugen.
The final events of the championships were the men’s and women’s slaloms on April 2. Tviberg managed to take another national title, winning the race with a combined time of 1:55.67 seconds, 1.21 seconds ahead of University of Denver alum Kristine Gjelsten Haugen in second and 2.17 seconds ahead of Marte Berg Edseth in third. Edseth was also the fastest junior.
In the men’s race, slalom ace Henrik Kristoffersen took home the win with a combined time of 1:51.72 seconds, 0.91 seconsd ahead of second-place finisher Timon Haugan and 1.59 seconds ahead of Bjoernar Neteland in third. Haugan was also the fastest junior.
Complete results from the series are available here.
About the Author: Sean Higgins
