Sargent Retires from World Cup Racing in Quebec City
The American women's team from Quebec lifting up Sargent to celebrate her last World Cup race (Photo Reese Brown/SIA Nordic)
Sargent and coach Miloucheva (Photo Reese Brown/SIA Nordic)
Kaitlynn Miller in the 10k freestyle pursuit in Quebec City (Photo Reese Brown/SIA Nordic)
Last Updated: 30.Mar.2019
It was an emotional and bittersweet weekend in Quebec City as Green Racing Project and US Ski and Snowboard athlete Ida Sargent skied the final World Cup races of her career. She has been racing full-time for the past 9 years, and represented the US in two Olympics (in 2014 and 2018). At the tail end of a long and successful career, she is hanging up the boards this year, but not without leaving a lasting impression on the Craftsbury community and the next generation of nordic athletes. Because the World Cup season ended close to home in North America, Sargent was able to ski her last races in front of her family, longtime GRP coach Pepa Miloucheva, teammates, friends, and supporters. In addition, her GRP teammates Kaitlynn Miller and Caitlin Patterson raced with the US team in Quebec City.
Freestyle Sprint
Racing action kicked off on Friday, March 22 with a freestyle sprint. With a lack of an overnight freeze and new precipitation, the course quickly turned to soft, ankle deep slush, which was an added challenge for the athletes. Unfortunately, both Sargent and Miller were racing with colds, but they put in their best effort regardless. Sargent finished 49th in the qualifier, Caitlin Patterson took 58th, and Miller was 61st.
Classic Mass Start
The following day, the course firmed up well, making for fast classic tracks and treacherous downhills. In the women's 10k mass start, Sargent led the way for the Green Team women placing 48th, followed closely by Miller in 49th, and Patterson in 53rd.
Freestyle Pursuit
The final day of competition brought a freestyle pursuit, with start order determined by the combined time of the previous two day's races, in addition to any bonus seconds picked up along the way. Sargent, Miller, and Patterson all started in a wave +3:10 behind the first skier. Patterson skied up from her starting position of 52, finishing 46th in the overall mini-tour with the 43rd fastest time of the day. Sargent finished in 48th place, and Miller was 52nd. Upon crossing the line, Sargent's teammates immediately showered her in champagne and gathered her in a group hug.
Full results from the weekend are available on FIS-Ski.com. The Green Team will finish their season March 29-April 2 in Presque Isle, ME for SuperTour Finals.