Fights, Crashes, Premature Skating, and Fast, Fast Skiing.
Torin Koos looked like a winner. Unfortunately he was a little too eager to be the winner. Torin Koos started the first uphill in his first heat in about third and put the hammer down, took the lead and pulled further and further away. And this is pulling away from skiers who have won world cup races. He crossed in first with room to spare. He was then disqualified for skating within the first 10m of the race where you are supposed to only double pole. Like I said he was a little too eager.
After some discussion it was decided that his little slip up didn’t grant him any actual advantage and he was put back in the simi-final but would have to start in fifth position and 3m behind the others.
Meanwhile a huge crash took out half of Newell’s first heat leaving Newell to win. In the next heat there was a fight and Freddy (from Italy) was relegated to starting back with Koos.
So Koos starts his simi-final heat 3m behind the rest and next to Freddy. He absolutely blasts it and moves into third and was still gaining on second when the finish line snuck under him. All he needed was more room, a little more distance and he could have made it… The kid was moving out.
Newell’s heat starts and Newell is flying. He takes the lead on the first hill and pulls away. Again, he is pulling away from skiers who have won world cup sprints… and then Newell plants his pole between his legs and hits the deck.
This is a process. There are steps forward and steps back, sickness and falls and mess-ups as well as big and little successes. Most of the time you go through stages of up’s and stages of downs. Sometimes you get an up one day and a down the next. Today had ups and downs all in one afternoon – but the only true lesson was that we can win. We are capable of winning and to do it we just have to keep fighting, keep focused, get as professional as possible and believe this truth – that we can win.
Chandra Crawford - CAN.
All these people are in my way... but it's good to have so many people out watching this crazy stuff. Check out the banked corner. One dislocated shoulder, one broken thumb, many broken poles, one broken ski and a few shattered hopes.
Manuela Henkel won this thing ahead of Marit and Sara Renner.
Torin Koos beat these guys... OK "I got kind of excitted and just forgot..." he sort of forgot to double pole the first 10m. But the thing is he out skied them - for real.
Where did Newell go. Better look back - cause Newell was leading. Again perfection evaded us but the potential is there in a big way.
The first corner... men's final.
Men's final on the first uphill.
The crowd around the start and finish in downtown Silverstar. Thanks for the great races. Very well done.