With Kikkan Randall back in Anchorage resting up for the world championships, the rest of the U.S. Ski Team enjoyed a strong showing Saturday at a World Cup freestyle sprint race in Rybinsk, Russia.
Anchorage skiers Sadie Bjornsen and Erik Bjornsen -- siblings who train with the Alaska Pacific University nordic club -- were among seven Americans who advanced to the quarterfinals.
Minnesota's Jessie Diggins led the pack with a fifth-place finish, her best result of the season. She was the only American to make it to the finals.
Sadie Bjornsen made it to the semifinals for the first time in three years and wound up 11th. Erik Bjornsen, who advanced from the preliminaries for the first time at the World Cup level, didn't make it past the quarterfinals and finished 24th.
"I was a spectator from the back of the pack," Erik said in a U.S. Ski Team press release of his rookie quarterfinal experience. "You have to be on it and aggressive in the World Cup heats. Next time I will be a little less shocked and little more hungry for a semifinal spot."
In a snow-starved season, skiers raced on fresh snow for one of the first times all season.
"It was snowing like crazy," Sadie said in an email. "The course was very soft, so you had to find the magic push of not too hard, but just enough. I have never found this condition to be my strength, so I was actually very happy to find my way into the semis finally."
Sadie Bjornsen and Diggins were joined in the women's quarterfinals by teammates Sophie Caldwell (seventh place) and Ida Sargent (13th). In the men's race, Erik Bjornsen advanced along with Simi Hamilton (17th) and Andy Newell (22nd).
Absent from Rybinsk was Randall, the leader of the U.S. team who left the World Cup earlier this month to recover from fatigue, according to the ski team. She is expected to rejoin her teammates in time for the world championships, which begin Feb. 19 in Falun, Sweden.
"It was a great day for the team today," Sadie said. "I think that we are all building into a good place just before our training block before the (world) championships, so that it awesome.
"I especially enjoyed watching my brother work his way into the points for the first time in sprinting. He has been capable for a while, but he finally put it all together today in a solid form. So great to see him so excited with a huge smile on his face!"