Randall adds sprint win to epic weekend in Quebec City

The days at Quebec City, said double winner Kikkan Randall, “ … were amazing. This is why we train for hours and hours.”

Randall ripped through the individual sprint through the streets of Quebec City’s old town streets with an estimated 10,000 spectators on hand to cheer her home.

As she had in the semi-finals, Randall sat in the second chair through the first lap of the finals behind Norway’s  Maiken Casoersen Kalla. She jumped to the lead with a lap left and put the hammer down to press her competitors. As they turned for the final sprint to the line Randall displayed her power and took it home with no real challenge.

It was her second win of the weekend after a two-woman team sprint win Friday. She takes the lead in the sprint standings and into second on the World Cup overall list.

“I really just wanted to sharpen my form, but it’s there,” said Randall who added that the enthusiastic crowd had fueled her. “Oh my God it was amazing out there,” she said.

Ida Ingemarsdotter of Sweden placed third. Sweden controled the men’s event with Emil Joensson and Teodor Peterson finished in first and second respectively. Russian Alexey Peturkhov challenged for the lead just before the final sprint but the Swede’s cut him off and sprinted to the win. American Andrew Newell finished fifth, his best sprint finish since 2010.