DUESSELDORF, Germany - The U.S. Ski Team's Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) attacked hard Saturday in the women’s freestyle individual sprints taking second in the first of two days of racing in this centuries old city along the Rhine. Randall was just four-tenths behind winner Italian Arrianna Follis who won with a time of 2:02.30.
Randall skied to an eighth place qualifying time to move on while Vesna Fabjan of Slovenia had the fastest time on the 0.9k loop held in soft snow in the quarter finals. Randall went on to win her heat in the semis, helping to set the stage for her result.
“I felt really good today”, Randall said, “Eighth in qualifying was a good start, but I felt so good in the quarters, and my skis were amazingly fast. I was really focused on my tempo with the flat course, which is what I lacked last weekend in Finland.” This marks Randall’s fifth career podium finish.
OFFICIAL RESULTS FIS Cross Country World Cup Duesseldorf, Germany December 4, 2010
Women Individual Sprint
1. Arianna Follis, Italy 2. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage 3. Vesna Fabjan, Slovenia 4. Celine Brun-Lie, Norway 5. Hanna Falk, Sweden
