Kikkan Randall, an Ibex Athlete, Olympian and now the first ever U.S. Woman to win a Cross-Country Skiing World Cup race!
"It’s been a whirlwind couple of days and it’s taken me some time to collect my thoughts...
(Written on Sunday)
Where do I even begin. Today turned out to be one of the most thrilling races of my life! We traveled to Russia (an all-day ordeal) on Thursday and prepared for some skate racing action this weekend. Because I scored my first ever World Cup podium in Rybinsk last season, you can imagine how anxious I was to return and see if I could improve on that result. I opted to skip the distance race Saturday to be rested for the sprint and it paid off.
My day started off well with a runner-up finish in the qualifying round, just half a second out of the lead. It was by far my best qualifying performance ever! Then came the rounds, and that’s where I really got going. In my quarterfinal, I floated around second or third for most of the lap and then used a boost of momentum off the big downhill to work into the lead on the homestretch and win my heat.
In my semi-final, I let a Russian girl take the lead and followed until the big uphill, where I made a jump move and gapped the field enough to stay clear of drafters, winning my heat and advancing to the A Final. The Russian crowd was enormous and cheering at a thunderous volume. Then came the final race.
I had a good start and followed last year’s Sprint World Champion Astrid Jacobson of Norway through the first half of the race. When we hit the big uphill, I pulled side by side with her. Midway up the hill, I decided to go for it, and accelerated. I got a slight gap over the top and dropped down the other side, hoping my skis were fast enough to keep me in front. Coming into the homestretch I was still holding the lead. I sprinted as hard as I could and only as I neared the last few meters did I realize I was actually going to win the race!
No, it’s not a dream, this is for real. I just won my first ever (and the first ever for a US woman) World Cup race! It’s an incredible feeling and I’m still floating off the ground.
Now I get to head back to North America for the holidays, taking a short break from the World Cup to race at US Nationals in Michigan, and then on to Canmore, Alberta for World Cups in January.
Happy Holidays everyone!!"
To read more about Kikkan's win click here or here.