Canmore X-C: German women edge Canadians in team sprint

By Published On: December 18th, 2005Comments Off on Canmore X-C: German women edge Canadians in team sprint

Canmore X-C: German women edge Canadians in team sprint{mosimage}CANMORE, Alberta – Germany’s Viola Bauer and Manuela Henkel spoiled the finale of Canada’s two-week run, edging the hosts by one second on Sunday to win a women’s cross-country World Cup team sprint.

Bauer outlasted Sara Renner over the final 10 meters, finishing the 7.2 kilometers in 18 minutes, 38.6 seconds.
Renner and Beckie Scott were next in 18:39.6, their first top-three finish in the event, while Sweden’s Lina Andersson and Anna Dahlberg were third, another 5.8 seconds behind.

“I had to fight hard and she overtook me on the flat, but I kept fighting back to win,” Bauer said.

Norway’s Jens Arne Svartedal and Eldar Roenning held off Swedish pair Bjoern Lind and Thobias Fredriksson to win the men’s team sprint by one-tenth of a second in 16 minutes, 22.4 seconds. A second Swedish duo of Mats Larsson and Mikael Oestberg finished third, 5.7 seconds back.

“I was trying to stay behind and overtake in the end,” Roenning said. “It is always very good to beat the Swedes. The track, snow conditions and mountains are great. I’ve never been to a nicer place than this.”

The women’s results gave Scott her fifth straight podium finish in as many chances a day after winning gold in the 15-kilometer classical event Saturday and a taking home silver in the 10-kilometer freestyle race Thursday.

Coupled with her victory in the sprint and a second place in a pursuit during last weekend’s World Cup in Vernon, British Columbia, Scott has doubled her previous World Cup podium total. Renner also finished third in the Vernon sprint race.

“I don’t think I ever have felt stronger,” said Scott, headed to her third Olympics. “This has been a dream two weeks. Now, I have a good combination of speed, endurance and power – and staying power.”

– The Associated Press

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About the Author: Pete Rugh