Americans Andy Newell and Torin Koos had a record day, finishing fourth at the men's freestyle team sprint in Dusseldorf, Sunday. The result marked the best finish by an American team on the World Cup. The duo finished last year’s race in the same location in ninth.Americans Andy Newell and Torin Koos had a record day, finishing fourth at the men's freestyle team sprint in Dusseldorf, Sunday. The result marked the best finish by an American team on the World Cup. The duo finished last year’s race in the same location in ninth.

"They were due this and today our bad luck with the crashes turned around. It was a great way to end the first phase of races so far this season," Cross Country Sprint Head Coach Chris Grover told usskiteam.com.

Each skier had a fall throughout the day’s races but recovered quickly to have a shot in the finals.

"They skied really well. It's the best finish for us in this event by far," Grover said. "Andy was on the losing end of some crashes earlier and today he was on the winning end."

Newell and Koos will not participate in the 2009 ColocoPhillips U.S. Cross Country Nationals. The team will take the time to prepare for the next World Cup races, held Jan. 16-18, in Vancouver at the Whistler Olympic Park, the site of the 2010 Olympics. 

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2009 VIESSMANN CROSS COUNTRY FIS WORLD CUP
Dusseldorf, Germany - Dec. 21, 2008

Men's Team Freestyle Sprint
1. Norway, Tor Arne Hetland, Ola Vigen Hattestad,17:37.0
2. Sweden, Bjoern Lind, Thobias Fredriksson,17.37.0
3. Russia, Alexei Petukhov, Nikolay Morilov,17.37.7
4. USA, Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT), Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA), 17.41.1
5. Italy, David Hofer, Fabio Pasini,17.41.4

Women's Team Freestyle Sprint
1. Russia, Natalia Korosteleva, Natalia Matveeva 9:35.5
2. Norway, Celine Brun-Lie, Maiken Caspersen Falla 9:35.7
3. Germany, Stefanie Boehler, Claudia Nystad 9:37.3
4. Sweden, Britta Norgren, Ingrid Vikman 9:44.9
5. Finland, Kirsi Peraelae, Riikka Sarasoja 9:46.6