Sargent Makes Team Sprint Podium in Dresden World Cup

Ida Sargent and Sophie Caldwell on the team sprint podium in Dresden (Photo Fischer/Nordic Focus)

Caitlin Patterson in the freestyle sprint qualifier (Photo Fischer/Nordic Focus)

Last Updated: 15.Jan.2018

The FIS Cross Country World Cup resumed this past weekend in Dresden, Germany following the completion of the Tour de Ski. GRP skiers Ida Sargent, Caitlin Patterson, and Ben Lustgarten all competed in the double sprint weekend set right in the city of Dresden.

Individual Freestyle Sprint- January 13
It was the first time hosting for Dresden, and while they were able to pull off a solid sprint course amid above freezing temperatures, they weren’t able to lay down all the snow they had planned for the course. This meant the men were clocking sub 2 minute times, and the women just over 2 minutes, by far the shortest course on the World Cup this year. Without any significant climbs, this played out as a flat drag race, with hardly any V1 to be found. In the women’s qualifier, Sargent placed 14th and Patterson was 40th, just 2 seconds out of qualifying. On the men’s side, Lustgarten was 49th, 3 seconds out from the top 30. In Sargent's quarterfinal, she finished neck and neck with the leaders in 4th place, but missed a lucky loser spot and ended up 17th overall.

Freestyle Team Sprint- January 14
The following day, all three GRP skiers raced the freestyle team sprint. Sargent teamed up with fellow Vermonter Sophie Caldwell on the USA I team, while Patterson teamed up with Kikkan Randall for USA II. Ben Lustgarten skied with Andy Newell on USA II. In the first men’s semifinal, Newell and Lustgarten placed 8th and just missed making the final, placing 15th overall on the day. On the women’s side, both USA I and II qualified easily for the final by virtue of taking 1st and 2nd in their semifinal. In the final, Sargent was able to stay in contact with the leaders on her final leg, which set her teammate Caldwell up very well to take third in the final stretch. Patterson and Randall finished 8th in the final. This was Sargent’s first World Cup podium of the season.
The World Cup resumes next weekend in Planica, Slovenia, with double classic races, a classic sprint and a 10/15k individual start. Results from the Dresden World Cups can be found on FIS-ski.com.