Kuusamo, Finland – Anchorage, Alaska’s Kikkan Randall turned in another strong performance on Sunday, finishing fifth to wrap-up the Ruka Triple 10k classic pursuit behind an untouchable champion Marit Bjoergen of Norway.
“If you had told me two weeks ago that I would be walking away from this weekend with a podium and fifth place overall I might not have believed you,” Randall said. “Coming back from the foot injury, I anticipated it was going to take several races to sharpen into race form. So I guess you could say I’ve ended up racing a little faster than expected.”
Liz Stephen (E. Montpelier, Vt.) was 17th overall in the three day min- tour with Ida Sargent (Orleans, Vt.) 18th, Holly Brooks (Anchorage) 22nd and Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) 24th.
On the men’s side, Aspen, Colo.’s Noah Hoffman finished in the points at 26th as Norway’s Petter Northug came on to win the men’s 15k classic.
Randall leaves the World Cup’s second weekend in fifth place overall, with five U.S. women in the top 30. The FIS World Cup tour now heads to North America for a pair of weekends in Canada, in Quebec and Canmore, Alberta.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Cross Country World Cup
Ruka, Finland – Dec. 2, 2012
Women’s 16 km M
| Rank | Bib | Name | Year | Nation | Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | BJOERGEN Marit | 1980 | NOR | 45:35.1 | 0.00 | |
| 2 | KOWALCZYK Justyna | 1983 | POL | 46:56.5 | 23.81 | |
| 3 | WENG Heidi | 1991 | NOR | 46:59.0 | 24.54 | |
| 4 | JOHAUG Therese | 1988 | NOR | 47:09.2 | 27.52 | |
| 5 | RANDALL Kikkan | 1982 | USA | 47:59.9 | 42.35 | |
| 6 | LAHTEENMAKI Krista | 1990 | FIN | 48:08.2 | 44.78 | |
| 7 | SKOFTERUD Vibeke W | 1980 | NOR | 48:11.6 | 45.78 | |
| 8 | STEIRA Kristin Stoermer | 1981 | NOR | 48:13.7 | 46.39 | |
| 9 | ISHIDA Masako | 1980 | JPN | 48:21.3 | 48.61 | |
| 10 | FESSEL Nicole | 1983 | GER | 48:28.4 | 50.69 |
Men’s 26 km M
| Rank | Bib | Name | Year | Nation | Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | NORTHUG Petter jr. | 1986 | NOR | 1:05:27.3 | 0.00 | |
| 2 | VYLEGZHANIN Maxim | 1982 | RUS | 1:05:28.7 | 0.29 | |
| 3 | POLTORANIN Alexey | 1987 | KAZ | 1:05:30.7 | 0.69 | |
| 4 | COLOGNA Dario | 1986 | SUI | 1:05:35.1 | 1.59 | |
| 5 | CHERNOUSOV Ilia | 1986 | RUS | 1:05:48.4 | 4.30 | |
| 6 | SUNDBY Martin Johnsrud | 1984 | NOR | 1:05:49.7 | 4.56 | |
| 7 | LEGKOV Alexander | 1983 | RUS | 1:05:51.8 | 4.99 | |
| 8 | JAPAROV Dmitriy | 1986 | RUS | 1:05:51.9 | 5.01 | |
| 9 | JOENSSON Emil | 1985 | SWE | 1:05:57.3 | 6.11 | |
| 10 | BELOV Evgeniy | 1990 | RUS | 1:05:58.6 | 6.38 |