Oslo, Norway – Cross country skiing sprint star Kikkan Randall showed another promising side of her athletic abilities as she finished 21st in a 30k classic race dominated by hometown hero Marit Bjoergen at Holmenkollen in Oslo on Sunday, securing the distance World Cup title in front of thousands of cheering fans.

Skiing in as high as 13th position with a group just behind the leaders Randall, of Anchorage, Alaska, fought the long distance race under warm weather conditions to the end.

“Overall, I think it got a little slow in some places but the conditions were actually pretty good. I had a really good middle part of the race,” Randall said. “I felt strong and I switched to a new pair of skis and was feeling good cruising up the hills. Then I switched skis on the last lap and I didn’t have quite as much kick and I was getting a little tired and cramping started to set in. But I fought hard to the end and I’m glad I put in a really hard effort.

“The race is such a mental game. It’s so long and you go through highs and lows out there so every time I do one of these I figure it out a little bit more. For sure it’s awesome training and hopefully I’ll just continue to improve.”

Her result on Sunday kept Randall in fourth position in the overall World Cup title hunt. She has already clinched the sprint World Cup title, and will receive the crystal globe for that effort on Wednesday in Stockholm, Sweden. Bjoergen will battle to stay in the overall World Cup lead against Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk during finals this week.

“It’s been a huge goal for Kikkan to compete for the overall and she’s done it all season. Not only has she been wearing that red sprint leaders bib all season, but she’s been in fourth/fifth in the overall all season,” said Chris Grover, head coach for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. “It’s going to be quite a battle for fourth place between her and Charlotte Kalla (of Sweden, who finished ninth on Sunday). Just to be fighting for fourth place in the overall at the end of the season is an incredible achievement. She was 10th last season, so this is quite a step forward.”

Randall’s U.S. teammate Liz Stephen, of East Montpelier, Vt., was close behind in 24th. Winthrop, Wash.’s Sadie Bjornsen was 40th, Jessie Diggins of Afton, Minn. 45th, and Vermonter Ida Sargent 51st.

Stephen had her fastest start in a classic mass start race after skiing fast from the beginning and having good contact with the leaders.

“Liz was having a good day. That was her fastest start in a classic race. To get out as fast as she did and be in that kind of contact with the leaders is something she has struggled with so it was good to see her have a good start,” added Grover.  “I think if we had just been able to dial in the kick a little better Kikkan and Liz, in particular, would have been a few places higher.”

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Cross Country World Cup
Holmenkollen Ski Festival – Oslo, Norway – Mar. 11, 2012
Women’s 30km Classic Mass Start