GRP Ski Opens the 2017 Season in Ruka and West Yellowstone

Ben Lustgarten and Adam Martin coming into the finish together in the 10k freestyle in West Yellowstone (Photo Ian Harvey/TokoUS)

Ida Sargent racing in a classic sprint in Pyeongchang, South Korea last season (Photo Toko/Nordic Focus)

Last Updated: 26.Nov.2017

Six Green Racing Project skiers are officially underway with their seasons after racing in West Yellowstone, MT, and Kuusamo, Finland this past weekend.

Ruka Triple Cross Country World Cup
Ida Sargent came into the 2017-2018 World Cup season with a group of very solid races in the Ruka Triple in Kuusamo, Finland this weekend. She started off with a classic sprint on Friday, qualifying 22nd. She placed 3rd in her quarterfinal, but missed out on a lucky loser spot and took 15th overall on the day. The following day, she had another very solid classic result, placing 22nd in the 10k classic individual, her best individual distance result since 2014. She finished the weekend by placing 38th overall after the 10k freestyle pursuit on Sunday. The World Cup continues in Lillehammer, Norway on December 2 & 3 with another classic sprint and a 15k skiathlon. Results from the Ruka Triple are available on FIS-ski.com, and recap video is on Crosscountryski.us. In order to watch live streaming of World Cup races, viewers must have a cable subscription to the Olympic Channel on NBC Sports.

West Yellowstone FIS Race
Meanwhile, the rest of the GRP opened their season with a 5/10k freestyle individual start in West Yellowstone. The race course was icy and bare after an onslaught of rain and warm temperatures, but held up just enough to have a race. On the women’s side, Caitlin Patterson led the way for the GRP in 2nd place, just 0.9 sec from the win. Kaitlynn Miller placed 14th and Liz Guiney took 15th. On the men’s side, Ben Lustgarten placed 8th in the 10k, 30 seconds out, and Adam Martin took 18th. The skiers will continue their season with two SuperTour races, a freestyle sprint and 10/15k classic in West Yellowstone on December 2 &3 (location and discipline weather dependent). Results from the FIS race are available HERE. Live video streaming for the SuperTours will be on the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Facebook page.