Successful Sochi test events

One year prior to the winter highlight of 2014, the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi (RUS) which will reach this milestone on 7th February 2013, the FIS Cross-Country and FIS Nordic Combined World Cups stopped in Sochi. The events provided the Organisers with the chance to test two of the key Olympic venues as preparations continue , with the competitors impressed by the newly-constructed facilities.

In Cross-Country Skiing, double Olympic champion Petter Northug of Norway won the men’s free technique sprint, while Switzerland’s Dario Cologna, who won Olympic gold in the 15km freestyle event in 2010, claimed victory in the 30km pursuit.

Norway’s Kristin Stoermer Steira, who won the ladies 15km pursuit, was also full of praise for the Sochi venue.

The final day of competition saw the team sprint classic technique races take place, with Finland’s Mona-Lisa Malvalehto and Anne Kyllönen winning the ladies event and Russia’s Dmitry Japarov and Maxim Vylegzhanin giving the home crowd reason to cheer as they clinched a solid victory in the men’s race, beating Teodor Peterson and Emil Joensson of Sweden by over 18 seconds.

The FIS Nordic Combined World Cup, which was held on 2nd-3rd February, saw Austria’s Bernhard Gruber win the Individual Gundersen competition, finishing 14.1 seconds ahead of Germany’s Eric Frenzel from Germany. Gruber's teammate Wilhelm Denifl finished third.

It was the first time in 23 years that the Nordic Combined World Cup had been held in Russia and the competitors were complimentary about the facilities at the RusSki Gorki venue, which will stage the Nordic Combined competitions during next year’s Games.

Germany’s Manuel Faisst, Björn Kircheisen, Johannes Rydzek and Eric Frenzel combined to win the team event, crossing the finish line 2.7 seconds ahead of the French team of Sebastien Lacroix, Francois Braud, Maxime Laheurte and Jason Lamy Chappuis. The team from Austria finished third.

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