SOLDIER HOLLOW — Sprint races have, in fact, become popular with cross country fans in recent times, mainly because in most cases the race to the finish line is fast, furious and, most often, close.
That was not the case on Thursday, however, during the final sprint events of the U.S. National Cross Country Championships.
Chris Cook of Rhinelander, Wis., and Kikkan Randall of Anchorage, Alaska, were, on this day, far ahead of the field at the finish.
Randall's race was, in fact, a little closer, but Cook's was a runaway. The closest of his three challengers was nearly 50 yards behind.
Finishing second in the men's event behind Cook was Eric Strabel of Palmer, Alaska, beating Colin Mahood and Kevin Hochtl, both members of the Rossignol team.
In the women's race, Karin Camenisch was second, followed by Natasha Naryshkina and Wendy Wagner. Wagner is from Park City. Camenisch and Naryshkina are on the Rossignol team.
Between four and five racers line up on the start of each heat, then ski in a loop for 1.5 kilometers. The course started with an uphill climb, then a flat and a glide and finished with a slight uphill, a race across a bridge and then a sprint the last couple of hundred yards to the finish.
Winners of each heat advance to the next round. In each of the finals, there were four races.
Cook called race conditions good and the competition "among the best in the world."
He added that he came into this race a little stressed because he was not with the U.S. Ski Team competing in World Cup events.
"I was bummed because I was not there and felt I had something to prove. It's a tough day, though. Any time you go head-to-head with some of the world's best, and win, it's good," he said.
Randall said she chose to stay out of the World Cup events.
"It was a hard decision for me because I wanted to be there to support the U.S. women's team. But I wanted to race well here and focus on catching the rest of the world and felt staying here and training was what I needed to do," she said.
In the final sprints of the "B" division were won by Leif Zimmermann with the Alpina Madshus for the men and Laura Valaas with Whitman College for the women.
The course on Thursday was said to be in good condition with only a few "slushy" spots. Considering events past years were held in driving rain and 10-below temperatures, racing under sunny skies was called "very enjoyable."
This is the final series of races before skiers are selected for the Olympics in February in Italy.
About one half of the positions have been secured by the team's top World Cup and nationally ranked skiers. Those skiers who do well in this event are in position to fill the remaining spots.
Competition will continue Saturday and Sunday with the classic and freestyle events.
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