Anchorage's Kikkan Randall on Thursday unleashed her finest effort in a distance race at a world championship or Olympics, finishing 26th in the women's 10-kilometer classic race, the opener of the Nordic Ski World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic.

Randall was the top American, finishing in 30 minutes, 25.5 seconds -- less than a minute outside the top 10. Finnish skier Aino-Kaisa Saarinen took the gold in 28:12.8 with Marianna Longa of Italy second, about four seconds back. Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland was third.

Morgan Arritola of Ketchum, Idaho, was the second American in 40th place. Morgan Smyth of Vernon, Vt., was 51st, while Laura Valaas, Randall's teammate at the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center, was 57th in 32:23.4.

Randall's previous best in a distance race at the worlds or Olympics was 50th in a 10-K at the World Championships in Italy six years ago.

"It was a really good start, especially for Kikkan," U.S. Ski Team coach Pete Vordenberg said in a press release. "It's a great sign for her fitness for the races that are coming up, which are her key races."

Randall may be peaking at precisely the right moment. She was sixth in a World Cup sprint a week ago in Italy, her last race before the world championships, and Vordenberg thinks she could take home a medal in Tuesday's sprint.

"For Kikkan, we are looking for a podium for sure," Vordenberg said. "The confidence is really high. Everyone is in a good mood and really looking forward to the races coming up."

Anchorage's James Southam kicks off his world championship today with a 15-K classic race.

"The courses here are beautiful," he wrote on his blog. "They are set around a hilltop overlooking the town and a really exposed which means it can get quite windy.

"It skis a lot like Soldier Hollow, but a little bit bigger ... A lot of fun to ski when you are feeling good and brutal if you are having a bad day. It has two major climbs, a few minor ones that are still as big a anything we have seen in the U.S. this year. U.S. course designers could learn some things from these guys ..."

Like Randall, Southam is coming into the world championships skiing well. He won his last two races on the U.S. Super Tour race circuit in Vermont nearly two weeks ago -- a 10-K and a 15-K.

"I've been classic skiing better than ever, feel good, dig the course, and I can watch the new 'Lost' episode online tonight," he wrote from his hotel in the Czech Republic.

Find Mike Campbell online at adn.com/contact/mcampbell or call 257-4329.

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