OTEPAEAE,
Estonia (Jan. 28) - Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA) finished third and
Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, WA) fourth Saturday - the best U.S. men's
World Cup finish since 1983 - in a 1.2K classic technique sprint won by
Norway's Jens Arne Svartedal.
In 20-degree, overcast weather,
Svartedal edged Russian Vasilli Rotchev by a half-second with Koos, a
two-time Olympian, in third place, another stride back. Newell was
fourth. Chris Cook (Rhinelander, WI) was 14th while World Cup leader
Virpi Kuitunen of Finland won the women's 1K CL race and Kikkan Randall
(Anchorage, AK) was 40th.
After two decades without a podium, Koos registered the third U.S. World Cup podium in 10 months. After the Olympics last season, Newell was third in a skating freestyle (skating) sprint in China while Randall finished third last Sunday in a freestyle sprint in Rybinsk, Russia - the best U.S. woman's result in a World Cup race since the World Cup began with the 1982 season.
In March 1983, Tim Caldwell was second to the great Gunde Svan of
Sweden in a 15K race in Anchorage, AK, with Bill Koch second. The
previous year, Koch won a 30K race in Falun, Sweden, with Dan Simoneau
second.
For complete results:
www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?event_id=21574&cal_suchsector=CC