Milan, Italy – FIS World Cup sprint leader Kikkan Randall, of Anchorage, Alaska, battled through the streets of Milan to finish second in a World Cup freestyle sprint on Saturday. Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter took her first win as Randall extended her lead.
The course in Milan, set in the old town less than a kilometer from the famed Duomo, was flat, much like the course in downtown Dusseldorf, Germany last month but much longer.
“It was a fantastic atmosphere out there today and it was fun to race here in Milan,” said Randall, who won both quarters and semis before skiing to second in the finals behind Ingemarsdotter. “I didn’t know that she (Ingemarsdotter) was the one coming up beside me until we were on the finish straight. I hesitated for a moment in making my final lane choice and I think taking the inside lane that had been skied in more may not have been the right choice.”
Afton, Minn.’s Jessie Diggins, who swept four U.S. titles last week in Maine, qualified 18th but came from behind with a strong finish sprint to take fourth and her first World Cup points.
Randall extended her World Cup sprint lead to 124 points ahead of Russian Natalia Matveeva. She is fourth in the overall cross-country skiing World Cup.
“I have taken part in every World Cup this season – I’ve been in good shape. We’ve been training to compete and I hope I can keep the red jersey till the end of the season. I’m feeling strong and I hope I can make it,” Randall said.
Norway’s Eirik Brandsdal took his first victory in the men’s race. Simi Hamilton of Aspen, Colo. finished 19th and Vermont’s Andy Newell 26th after each went out in quarterfinals. Newell had been in contention in the quarters but got tangled and fell coming into the finish.
“Four qualifiers made it a particularly successful day from the start with Sadie (Bjornsen) just missing by a tenth in 31st. She’s building quite the hunger for an individual sprint qualification. And it is coming,” said Matt Whitcomb, the U.S. coach. “For the quarterfinals Kikkan and Jessie qualified for the first heat, and Simi and Andy for the last. It’s always better to divide and conquer but we were unlucky today.”
OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Cross Country Skiing World Cup
Milan, Italy – Jan. 14, 2012
Freestyle Sprints
Men:
| Rank | Bib | Name | Year | Nation |
| 1 | 4 | BRANDSDAL Eirik | 1986 | NOR |
| 2 | 7 | WENZL Josef | 1984 | GER |
| 3 | 3 | PETERSON Teodor | 1988 | SWE |
| 4 | 15 | MORILOV Nikolay | 1986 | RUS |
| 5 | 2 | PETUKHOV Alexey | 1983 | RUS |
| 6 | 9 | HATTESTAD Ola Vigen | 1982 | NOR |
| 7 | 1 | STRANDVALL Matias | 1985 | FIN |
| 8 | 20 | SCOLA Fulvio | 1982 | ITA |
| 9 | 16 | PELLEGRINO Federico | 1990 | ITA |
| 10 | 22 | PASINI Renato | 1977 | ITA |
Women:
| Rank | Bib | Name | Year | Nation |
| 1 | 2 | INGEMARSDOTTER Ida | 1985 | SWE |
| 2 | 11 | RANDALL Kikkan | 1982 | USA |
| 3 | 5 | FALLA Maiken Caspersen | 1990 | NOR |
| 4 | 12 | MATVEEVA Natalia | 1986 | RUS |
| 5 | 1 | KYLLOENEN Anne | 1987 | FIN |
| 6 | 8 | EIDE Mari | 1989 | NOR |
| 7 | 18 | CRAWFORD Chandra | 1983 | CAN |
| 8 | 7 | FABJAN Vesna | 1985 | SLO |
| 9 | 17 | SOEMSKAR Linn | 1989 | SWE |
| 10 | 25 | VAN DER GRAAFF Laurien | 1987 | SUI |