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Cross Country Team Kicks Off World Cup Season in Ruka

By Tom Horrocks
November, 27 2019
Sadie Ruka
Sadie Bjornsen, third from left, finished second in the Ruka, Finland, season-opening classic sprint in 2017. She finished 11th in 2018. She'll be looking for the top step of the podium Friday's World Cup season opener. (Getty Images/AFP - Markka Ulander)

After a summer of trail running, gym work, and training camps, the roller skis have been put away and the athletes of the Davis U.S. National Cross Country Team Program are ready to kick off the FIS Cross Country World Cup season this weekend in Ruka, Finland.

This weekend’s mini-tour opens Friday with a classic sprint, continues Saturday with a 10k classic for the women, and 15k classic for the men. On Sunday, the women will wrap up the weekend with a 10k freestyle pursuit, and the men will race a 15k freestyle pursuit.

Starting for the U.S. Team are Jessie Diggins, Sadie Maubet Borjnsen, Sophie Caldwell, Rosie Brennan, Caitlin Patterson, Julia Kern, Hailey Swirbul, Rosie Frankowski, Simi Hamilton, Erik Bjornsen, Scott Peterson, Kevin Bolger, David Norris, and Kyle Bratrud.

A few members of the team competed in a three-day Norwegian National race in Beitostølen, Norway, last week in preparation for this weekend's World Cup opener. In the 1.2k classic sprint in Norway, Sophie led the Team with a third-place finish. The next day, Jessie was fourth and Sadie was fifth a 10k classic. 

Heading into the 2019-20 World Cup season, Jessie is the only non-European skier to have won at least one World Cup event (including Tour stages and overall Tour wins) in each of the last four seasons. She can become the first U.S. athlete to win a World Cup event (including Tour stages and overall Tour wins) in five consecutive seasons. She currently shares the record of four in a row with former teammate Kikkan Randall.

Two skiers who were a bit under the weather last week, Kevin and Hailey, are back and ready to go for this weekend after participating in intensity workouts the past couple of days.  

All events this weekend will be streamed live on both Olympic Channel.com and NBC Sports Gold. NBC Sports Network and The Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, will offer same-day coverage all three days.

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Friday, Nov. 29
6:20 a.m. - Men & Women’s sprint, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 p.m. - Men & Women’s sprint, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*

Saturday, Nov. 30
3:35 a.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:20 a.m. - Men’s 15k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
11:00 a.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*
10:00 p.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - NBCSN*

Sunday, Dec. 1
4:00 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:15 a.m. - Men’s 15k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:30 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.
 

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Caitlin Patterson headshot image
Caitlin Patterson
Caitlin has been nominated to the 2019-20 U.S. Ski Team. 
Sophie Caldwell Hamilton headshot image
Sophie Caldwell Hamilton
Sophie has been an NCAA podium finisher, a World Cup podium finisher, and one of the top U.S. women to race in an Olympic Winter Games.
Julia Kern headshot image
Julia Kern
World Championship medalist and 2022 Olympian Julia Kern is making a name for herself as one of the fastest sprinters in cross country. 
Rosie Brennan headshot image
Rosie Brennan
Born and raised in Park City, Utah, Rosie is a four-time U.S. champion, 2018 and 2022 Olympian, and ranked in the top-10 in the world for cross country skiing.
Simi Hamilton headshot image
Simi Hamilton
A three-time NCAA All-American from Middlebury College, and a three-time Olympian, Hamilton is among the top sprinters in the world with four World Cup podiums on his resume. 
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen headshot image
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen
A World Championship bronze medalist, five-time U.S. Champion, and two-time Olympian Sadie became the first American to wear the FIS World Cup Yellow Leader's bib following two top-5 finishes to kick off the 2019-20 season. 
Jessie Diggins headshot image
Jessie Diggins
Three-time Olympic medalist (bronze, silver and gold), 2023 World Champion, 21x World Cup winner (60 podiums), and 2021 and 2024 World Cup overall winner Jessie Diggins of Afton, Minnesota is one of the most dominant and successful cross country skiers in the world.