Canadian para athlete Yves Bourque, of Quebec, a veteran of the 2014 Sochi Paralympics, skiing in Craftsbury, Vt., at 2016 U.S. Paralympics Sit Ski Nationals and IPC Continental Cup from Jan. 6-9. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
The first week of January was a active 1. In random corners of the globe, some of the prime-ranked nordic skiers competed for numerous titles: at the Tour de Ski in Switzerland, Germany and Italy, at U.S. Cross Country Championships in Houghton, Mich., and at the U.S. Paralympics Sit Ski Nationals and Global Paralympic Committee (IPC) Continental Cup in Craftsbury, Vt.
In Craftsbury, about 30 miles south of the Canadian border in northern Vermont, 5 races were held in a span of four days, Jan. 6-9, after anticipated rain prompted organizers to move up the final two races to the scheduled off day.
“Busy for positive, but the OC [organizing committee] did an amazing job and the athletes acquired a massive bang for their time and investment in currently being there,” U.S. Paralympics Nordic Large Performance Director John Farra wrote in an e mail.
Oksana Masters (U.S. Paralympics Nordic A-staff) during a snowy day in Craftsbury, Vt., at the U.S. Paralympics Sit Ski Nationals and IPC Continental Cup from Jan. six-9. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
The Craftsbury Outside Center hosted 25 participants in 3 cross-nation races followed by two biathlon races. U.S. Paralympics A-staff members Andy Soule and Oksana Masters won the opening men’s seven.5-kilometer and women’s five k mid-distance sit ski races, respectively, and Masters went on to sweep the remaining races of nationals.
Soule won four out of the 5, placing second to longtime teammate Sean Halsted in the men’s two.5 k brief-distance sit ski on the 2nd day of racing.
That day entailed back-to-back races: the brief-distance in the morning and a full sprint — total with a qualifier and heats —following in the afternoon.
“It was a busy day, but from a advancement perspective it was a wonderful model,” Farra wrote.
Interestingly, the 850-meter sprint was scored as a “mixed” event, ranking the two genders on a single final results sheet. Masters topped the coed area, winning with an adjusted time 11 seconds faster than Soule. Halsted was the 2nd male and third overall.
“This 12 months for the first time we have been ready to take advantage of a new rule by IPC that allows us to mix men’s and women’s fields for the functions of establishing a points base when the numbers of points-holding athletes in a single area would otherwise be also modest,” Eileen Carey, head coach of U.S. Paralympics Nordic explained in an electronic mail.
“There is a precedent for this in IPC in the relay, the place women get an added 18% off their compensation to equalize the discipline and combine absolutely everyone in a single event. As an instance when Oksana is racing against women’s only fields, she has a a hundred% compensation, so her calculated outcome is the exact same as her genuine time,” Carey continued. “In this occasion, her calculated result was 82% of her real time. This made for a significantly a lot more fascinating occasion and a greater competitors for athletes. For our Planet Cup regulars and new skiers alike, it meant much more practice going into technical sections in groups and having to ski much more tactical races to qualify for finals.”
Looking at the overall discipline, Farra and Carey mentioned they had been impressed by some “brand new” athletes.
“This was the first significant competition for a vast majority of the discipline,” Carey explained. “As a group, they arrived impressively match for skiing and enhanced throughout the week. It is fascinating for us to have a greater community of adaptive athletes in the identical area each and every year.”
U.S. para skiers (left to right) Brittany Fisher, Oksana Masters, and Joy Rondeau at 2016 U.S. Paralympics Sit Ski Nationals and IPC Continental Cup. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
In her initial IPC Continental Cup and sit-ski nationals, Joy Rondeau, who trains with the National Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, Colo., positioned 2nd to Masters in all three cross-country events and the six.five k biathlon race.
“We had participation in all three lessons and the two genders… which was genuinely awesome for us,” Farra wrote. “Great to have some new talent in standing and visual impaired lessons specially.”
“The advancement group as a complete came to the event more match and a lot more skilled than in the past so we feel that implies great things for the future of the sport,” Carey extra.
This season, sit skiers Halstead and Bryan Price are on the development staff. Halstead reached the podium in all 5 races, Cost landed on it three instances, and B-team member Aaron Pike tallied two podiums in Craftsbury.
Andy Soule (U.S. Paralympics A-staff) at 2016 U.S. Paralympics Sit Ski Nationals and IPC Continental Cup. (Photograph: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
“I was impressed with the group as a complete and am excited to see what is to come,” Carey wrote. “Our National Team athletes are skiing effectively and are on track for a good winter.”
As for the problems in Craftsbury, Carey described them as “great.”
“The crew there is incredible with what they can do with tiny quantities of snow,” she wrote. “They worked hard making and moving snow and (as soon as once again!) produced exceptional programs for our skiers. I have realized to in no way underestimate what they are capable of, and they did not disappoint. We are fortunate to have this kind of a committed organizer in Nordic sport and the fact that they pulled out all the stops for our area of 25 athletes was amazing. They place with each other World Cup top quality competitions.”
The national team is headed to Pyeongchang, South Korea, for the IPC Asian Cup Jan. 28-Feb. 1 and a possibility to preview the 2018 Paralympics venue.
“We will get eyes on Pyeong Chang for the very first time this winter so we will find out specifics from that journey that we will apply to our coaching,” Carey wrote.
Results:
Jan. 6 mid-distance
Jan. seven brief-distance | sprint
Jan. 8 biathlon sprint
Jan. 9 biathlon indvidual
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