Otepaa, Estonia – The U.S. Ski Team’s Noah Hoffman took ninth in the men’s 15k freestyle as the FIS U23 World Ski Championships got underway Thursday in Otepaa, Estonia.n”Any day we can get an athlete in the top 10 is a great day,” said U.S. U23 Cross Country Coach Matt Whitcomb. “I’m happy with Noah’s race, that being said it wasn’t his best race…but he caught a pretty nice ride and skied back into it.”

Building upon his U.S. SuperTour victory in Lake Placid, N.Y., earlier this month, Hoffman raced to a 36:42.4 on the pristine Otepaa course, just over a minute behind winner Evgeniy Belov of Russia. The U.S. also saw Central Cross Country Skiing’s Tad Elliot, of Durango, Colo., race to 19th and University of Alaska-Fairbanks’ Alexander Treinen to 35th.

In the women’s 10k freestyle, American Sadie Bjornsen of Methow, Wash., a student at Alaska Pacific University, took 23rd with a time of 29:31.1, followed closely by University of Vermont’s Caitlin Patterson, of Anchorage, Alaska, in 26th and Alaska Pacific University’s Rebecca Rorabaugh, who hails from Hanover, N.H., in 29th.

“Today’s race was very fair,” said Whitcomb. “We had great conditions and really good skis prepared by the wax staff. The organizers pulled off a great race.”

Next up for the U.S. Nordic Team are the classic pursuit races on Monday, Jan. 31.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS U23 World Nordic Championships
Otepaa, Estonia – Jan. 27, 2011
Cross Country 15/10k Free

Men’s 15k
Gold: Evgeniy Belov, Russia 35:26.3
Silver: Pavel Vikulin, Russia 35:42.4
Bronze: Raul Shakirzianov, Russia 35:49.7

Women’s 10k
Gold: Krista Lahteenmaki, Finland 26:33.3
Silver: Mariya Guschina, Russia 27:33.3
Bronze: Hilde Guschina, Norway 27:35.1