RASNOV, Romania (Feb. 26, 2016) – The FIS Nordic Junior World Championships wrapped up on Friday with a 4x5k and 4x2.5k freestyle relay. These races were previously schedule for Feb. 28, but the races were pushed up due to a lack of snow. The U.S. junior women’s relay team, which consisted of Julia Kern (Waltham, MA, Stratton Mountain School), Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, VT, Stratton Mountain School), Vivian Hett (Burnsville, MN, Northern Michigan University) and Sarah Bezdicek (Plymouth, MN, Northern Michigan University) as anchor, led the U.S. in eighth.
“Our juniors showed a great fight today,” said Bryan Fish, U.S. Ski Team Development Coach. “A huge thank you to our staff for providing our athletes with competitive skis each day. Both the athletes and staff maintained a focus on the task at hand in the midst of daily race schedule changes and challenging snow conditions.”
In the junior women’s 4x2.3k relay race, Sweden edged out Norway to claim the relay by just 0.6 seconds. Russia finished third. After the first leg of the relay, Sweden led the race until the end, but not without a fight.
Kern started out the relay strong, moving up to third before getting tangled up in a fall, bumping the U.S. to 12th before the hand off to Ogden. With only 2.5k to make up time, Ogden made gusty moves throughout the second leg to move the U.S. into fifth at the hand off to Hett. Hett was not able to hold onto fifth and settled for ninth with Bezdicek doing an impressive job of moving the team up a place.
The men start the 4x5k relay at Junior Worlds. (FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC-Cc 2016)
In the men’s 4x5k relay, Norway dominated the race to fish over 45 seconds ahead of Russia. France finished third. Norway led nearly the entire race, but it was team anchor, Johannes Klaebo, who lengthened the gap to win by 47.7 seconds. In addition to the relay victory, Klaebo had already claimed two FIS Nordic Junior World Championships individual victories, one in the freestyle sprints and one in the 10k classic.
Ian Torchia (Marquette, MI, Northern Michigan University) led the U.S. junior men starting out the relay. He was able to hold on to ninth until the hand off to Cully Brown (Durango, CO, University of Vermont). Brown lost some time in his leg bumping the U.S. to 11th. By the final tag from Henry Harmeyer (S. Burlington, VT, University of Vermont) to anchor Zak Ketterson (Bloomington, MN, Loppet Nordic Racing), the team had slipped back to 16th. But Ketterson made an awesome comeback, making up five places and finishing 11th.
“Ian Torchia set a fast pace leading for the men and holding top six and holding tight within the front pack,” said Fish. “Cully, Henry and Zak fought hard to maintain and skied with poise. Zak got inched out at the line by Germany and Kazakhstan.”
HIGHLIGHTS
- The junior women raced one loop of the course, which was 2.5k, while the junior men had to race two loops of the course.
- The relay races were previously schedule for Sunday, Feb. 28 and were supposed to be a 4x5k and 4x3.3k relay. Due to a lack of snow, the races were moved up and the women’s race was shortened.
- The 2017 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships and FIS U23 World Cross Country Championships will be held at Utah’s Olympic venues in Park City and Midway.
- The Junior Worlds has been held only once previously in America, on the Olympic venues of Lake Placid in 1986. It will be the first time in the USA for the U23 Championships.
QUOTES
Bryan Fish, U.S. Ski Team Development Coach
Our juniors showed a great fight today. Julia Kern was up to 3rd in lead leg but crashed in a tangle up. Ian Torchia set a fast pace leading for the men and holding top six and holding tight within the front pack. Cully, Henry and Zak fought hard to maintain and skied with poise. Zak got inched out at the line by Germany and Kazakhstan.
A huge thank you to our staff for providing our athletes with competitive skis each day. Both the athletes and staff maintained a focus on the task at hand in the midst of daily race schedule changes and challenging snow conditions
RESULTS
Junior Men 4x5k Relay
Junior Women 4x2.5k Relay
