Liz Stephen (file photo: USSA)
World Cup

Stephen Earns Career Best on Olympic Course

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Krasnaya Polyana, Russia – The U.S. Ski Team’s Liz Stephen skied to a career best eighth in the 7.5k/7.5k skiathlon on the Sochi 2014 Olympic course on Saturday.

Kristin Stoermer Steira of Norway won women’s while Dario Cologna of Switzerland took the men’s. Skiers faced raging snow at some times during the race at the Laura venue just northeast and up the mountain from Krasnaya Polyana. It was the second day of Olympic test events on the Laura Cross Country Ski Center near Sochi with teammate Kikkan Randall, of Anchorage, Alaska, winning the sprint on Friday.

Liz Stephen (file photo: USSA)
Liz Stephen (file photo: USSA)

Stephen, of E. Montpelier, Vt., went out strong in the 7.5k classic segment, running with the lead pack the entire way and making the change to skate less than 10 seconds out of the lead. She maintained her placing in the skate finishing 47 seconds off the lead.

“The race today was challenging for me,” Stephen admitted. “The classic portion went really well, as I probably had my best ever start in a mass start, getting myself to the front of the group right away and staying in the top 10 for the whole classic portion of the race. Once the skate started, though, my legs were not up for the hills and I was not able to ski the way I was hoping to. That said, I skied my heart out, trying to stay with the lead chase pack, and I am certainly happy with my finish.
“The best part of today was proving to myself that on a day when I feel really good, I can have a podium finish in a World Cup,” she added. “Getting myself to truly believe that has been an ongoing process and a tough mental barrier for me to break into.”

Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, WA) was 24th, Jessie Diggins (Afton, MN). Noah Hoffman (Aspen, CO) was 26th in the men’s 15k/15k.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Cross Country World Cup
Krasnaya Polyana, Russia – Feb. 2, 2013

Women’s 7.5k/7.5k Skiathlon

Rank Bib Name Year Nation Time FIS Points
 1  2 STEIRA Kristin Stoermer 1981 NOR  46:17.7  0.00
 2  7 TCHEKALEVA Yulia 1984 RUS  46:36.9  9.68
 3  18 FESSEL Nicole 1983 GER  46:37.6  10.03
 4  4 JACOBSEN Astrid Uhrenholdt 1987 NOR  46:38.0  10.23
 5  8 ZELLER Katrin 1979 GER  46:47.5  15.02
 6  3 KYLLOENEN Anne 1987 FIN  46:49.2  15.88
 7  6 ISHIDA Masako 1980 JPN  46:55.0  18.80
 8  9 STEPHEN Elizabeth 1987 USA  47:03.0  22.83
 9  21 MIKHAILOVA Olga 1981 RUS  47:15.7  29.23
 10  26 ZHUKOVA Natalia 1992 RUS  47:17.3  30.04

Men’s 15k/15k Skiathlon

Rank Bib Name Year Nation Time FIS Points
 1  1 COLOGNA Dario 1986 SUI  1:21:00.0  0.00
 2  6 CHERNOUSOV Ilia 1986 RUS  1:21:01.6  0.46
 3  2 LEGKOV Alexander 1983 RUS  1:21:01.8  0.52
 4  5 VYLEGZHANIN Maxim 1982 RUS  1:21:02.2  0.63
 5  9 BELOV Evgeniy 1990 RUS  1:21:07.5  2.16
 6  7 ANGERER Tobias 1977 GER  1:21:10.0  2.88
 7  22 GAILLARD Jean Marc 1980 FRA  1:21:10.6  3.05
 8  8 CLARA Roland 1982 ITA  1:21:12.0  3.46
 9  47 KHOKHRYAKOV Nikolay 1985 RUS  1:21:15.8  4.55
 10  11 MANIFICAT Maurice 1986 FRA  1:21:16.6  4.78

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