CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

The 2004/5 season commences with Sprint races in D�sseldorf on 23rd October 2004 and runs through until the final relays on Falun on 20th March 2021.

The World Cup is contested by both Men and Women and there are two techniques used called Classic and Freestyle. Classic is the original "stride and glide" format, whilst Freestyle is the newer and faster "skating" style.

Events are held over distances varying from the sprints at approximately 1500 metres to the 50 kilometre races. In addition there are a series of relay races for the national teams. Points are awarded to those competitors who finish in the Top 30 places.

In order to see the calendar of events and results please see the pages marked Men and Women to the side.

LATEST NEWS

 17-27th February: The World Championships opened in Oberstdorf with the Ladies 10km Freestyle race which was won by the Czech Republic's Katerina Neumanova who finished just ahead of Julia Tchepalova of Russia and Marit Bjoergen of Norway took bronze. The Men's 15km Freestyle went to Italy in the shape of Pietro Piller Cottrer with team mate Fulvio Valbusa in silver and Tore Ruud Hofsted bronze medallist for Norway, biathletes Lars Berger and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen were fourth and 10th. The Ladies Double Pursuit gold went to Julia Tchepalova who finishd clear of Marit Bjoergen and Kristin Steira both of Norway. The Men's corresponding event went to France in the shape of Vincent Vittoz from Giorgio di Centa of Italy and Frode Estil of Norway. The Ladies Relay was taken clearly by Norway with Russia taking silver and Italy the bronze. The Men's Relay went to Norway who finished clear of the challenge of Germany and Russia in silver and bronze positions. The Ladies sprint saw the surprise of Marit Bjoergen not qualifying. Gold went to Emelie Ohrstig of Sweden ahead of team mate Lina Andersson with Sara Renner of Canada in bronze. The Men's race went to Vassili Rotchev of Russia in front of Norway's Tor Arne Hetland with Thobias Fredriksson in third. The Ladies Sprint relay went to Norway as well holding off Finland and Russia whilst Norway were again victorious in the Men's version with Germany second and Czech Republic third. The Blue Riband events the Classic Mass Starts were left for last. In the Ladies 30km there was finally victory for World Cup leader Marit Bjoergen who finished ahead of Finland's Virpi Kuitunen and Natalia Baranova. The Men's 50km was a Norwegian clean sweep with Frode Estil edging out team mates Anders Aukland and Odd Bjorn Hjelmeset.

 5-6th March: The Tour move to Scandinavia after the World Championships and Lahti. The Men's Sprint was a Norwegian clean sweep with Boerre Naess taking the win from Tor Arne Hetland, Eldar Ronning, and Jens Arne Svartedal. The Ladies race went to Line Andersson ahead of Kirsi Vaelimaa, Virpi Kuitunen and Anna Dahlberg. The Ladies 10km Freestyle went to Julia Tchepalova with Katerina Neumanova second, Karine Phillipot third, Evi Sachenbacher fourth and Beckie Scott fifth. The Men's 15km went to Lukas Bauer with Christian Hoffmann second, Thomas Moriggl of Italy third, Juha Lallukka fourth and Eugeni Dementiev fifth.

NEW: 9-20th March: On 9th March there were Sprint races in Drammen, Norway. The Men's race was won by Tor Arne Hetland with Eldar Ronning second, Boerre Naess third and Trond Iversen fourth. The Ladies race went to Virpi Kuitunen of Finland with Lina Andersson second, Anna Dahlberg third and Mona Liisa Malvalehto of Finland fourth. Three days later it was the Blue Riband races the Ladies 30km Classic at Holmenkollen won by Marit Bjoergen with Katerina Neumanova second, Kuitunen third, Julia Tchepalova fourth and Aino Kaisa Saarinen fifth. The Men's 50km Classic was taken by Estonia's Andrus Veerpalu ahead of Jens Filbrich, Odd Bjorn Hjelmeset, Martin Bajcicak and Anders Soedergren. There were further Sprints in Gothenburg on 16th. Trond Iversen took the Men's race from Keijo Kurttila, Ola Vigen Hattestad and Hetland. Bjoergen won the Ladies race with Saarinen second, Kuitunen third and Dahlberg fourth. In the final individual races held in Falun there was success for Bjoergen once again in the Double Pursuit ahead of Neumanova , Tchepalova, Evi Sachenbacher and Gabriella Paruzzi. The Men's race went to Eugeni Dementiev in a very close sprint finish in front of Tobias Angerer, Bajcicak, Vincent Vittoz and Giorgio di Centa. The Ladies Relay was won by Finland with Norway out sprinting Russia for second place. The Men's Relay went to Norway I in front of the Italians with Sweden I in third spot on the podium.

This page last modified on 20th March 2021