Drammen Sprint -- Kuitunen Faster Than Bjoergen In Qualifying Round

Published: Wed Mar 09, 2005 12:00 AM MST

The World Cup Drammen classic sprints got underway this morning, with thousands of Norwegian fans lining the man-made course in downtown Drammen.

Finland's Virpi Kuitunen posted the fastest time in the qualification round, which determines the top 16 racers who will advance to the head-to-head elimination rounds and compete for the top spots. Shaking off whatever it was that kept her out of the World Championship classic sprint finals, Marit Bjoergen of Norway qualified with a strong second place, just behind Kuitunen.

Canada put both of its top two skiers into the top 16, with World Championships bronze medalist Sara Renner qualifying in 7th and Beckie Scott in 10th. Also in the race today was the North American SuperTour Sprint Champion, Karin Camenisch, skiing for her home country of Switzerland. Camenisch finished 40th, roughly 11 seconds from making the top 16.

Drammen Sprint 2004

On the men's side, Norway's Eldar Roenning "won" the individual qualifying round, leading three other Norwegians with the next fastest qualifying times: World Championship sprint silver medalist Tor Arne Hetland, the young recent World Cup winner Boerre Naess, and sprint veteran Trond Iverson.

Jens Arne Svartedal and Sweden's Thobias Fredrikkson also made it through to the elimination rounds. None of the North American men racing made it into the top 16 today. The closest was Andrew Newell of the U.S. team, in 32nd. Then it was Drew Goldsack for Canada in 38th, U.S. sprinter Torin Koos in 51st just behind Australian Paul Murray, Canadian Devon Kershaw in 54th, and Chad Giese and David Chamberlain for the U.S. in 61st and 62nd.

Eldar Roenning's qualifying time on the 1km course was a smoking-fast 2:16.21, an incredible 24.33 seconds faster than Kuitunen's already-impressive 2:40.54 which topped the women's field - for now.

Results from the finals will be posted shortly after the finals take place. As always, you can follow the race live here on fasterskier.com by clicking on the "Live World Cup Results" link on the lower right side of the homepage.

Women's Qualifying Results -- Drammen World Cup Classic Sprint:

1 2 1166037 KUITUNEN Virpi 1976 FIN 2:40.54 0.00
2 15 1303777 BJOERGEN Marit 1980 NOR 2:40.92 2.84
3 18 1242958 OEHRSTIG Emelie 1978 SWE 2:42.92 17.79
4 10 1276714 MAJDIC Petra 1979 SLO 2:43.79 24.29
5 14 3185003 MALVALEHTO Mona-Liisa 1983 FIN 2:44.19 27.28
6 21 1283116 ANDERSSON Lina 1981 SWE 2:44.70 31.10
7 16 1128886 RENNER Sara 1976 CAN 2:44.77 31.62
8 8 3425115 SOLLI Guro Stroem 1983 NOR 2:44.93 32.81
9 29 1218611 VAELIMAA Kirsi 1978 FIN 2:45.96 40.51
10 1 1128789 SCOTT Beckie 1974 CAN 2:46.10 41.56
11 5 1255665 SAARINEN Aino Kaisa 1979 FIN 2:46.25 42.68
12 17 1304165 GJOEMLE Ella 1979 NOR 2:46.42 43.95
13 24 1169432 NATSUMI Madoka 1978 JPN 2:46.61 45.37
14 4 1237817 DAHLBERG Anna 1976 SWE 2:46.82 46.94
15 11 3185005 PERAELAE Kirsi 1982 FIN 2:47.28 50.38
16 23 1305426 SKOFTERUD Vibeke W 1980 NOR 2:47.74 53.82
17 44 3425016 ENGEN Therese 1980 NOR 2:47.74 53.82
18 9 1220648 KUENZEL Claudia 1978 GER 2:47.86 54.72
19 20 1126461 VENAELAEINEN-SUNDQVIST Kati 1975 FIN 2:47.94 55.31
20 13 1113754 HENKEL Manuela 1974 GER 2:48.71 61.07
21 27 1107837 EK Elin 1973 SWE 2:48.80 61.74
22 26 1191354 ROCHAT Laurence 1979 SUI 2:49.42 66.38
23 36 3425155 AAS Sigrid 1980 NOR 2:49.51 67.05
24 38 3425183 JACOBSEN Astrid 1987 NOR 2:49.88 69.81
25 28 1350628 FUKUDA Nobuko 1980 JPN 2:50.25 72.58
26 6 1293107 BOEHLER Stefanie 1981 GER 2:50.26 72.65
27 19 1312701 MISCHOL Seraina 1981 SUI 2:50.41 73.78
28 31 1303874 BJOERNAAS Kine Beate 1980 NOR 2:51.16 79.38
29 25 3435001 KOWALCZYK Justyna 1983 POL 2:51.51 82.00
30 43 3425004 AAS Ingvild 1980 NOR 2:51.81 84.24
31 33 1081744 VILJANMAA Annmari 1973 FIN 2:52.04 85.96
32 22 1256732 SACHENBACHER Evi 1980 GER 2:52.51 89.47
33 42 3425177 GJEITNES Kari Vikhagen 1985 NOR 2:53.56 97.32
34 46 3425101 NORDTOEMME Liv Miriam 1984 NOR 2:53.57 97.40
35 41 3425036 JENSEN Lena 1980 NOR 2:53.76 98.82
36 7 1367021 SIDKO Alena 1979 RUS 2:54.10 101.36
37 3 1296114 KELDER Cristina 1981 ITA 2:54.71 105.92
38 45 3425015 BRAATHEN Solfrid 1982 NOR 2:55.74 113.62
39 32 1322110 MOSALENKO-ROTCHEVA Olga 1978 RUS 2:57.55 127.15
40 34 1266529 CAMENISCH Karin 1980 SUI 2:58.62 135.14
41 39 3425019 MATHIESEN Christine 1983 NOR 2:58.85 136.86
42 50 1032080 HALLE Siri 1971 NOR 3:00.12 146.36
43 35 3565001 BENEDICIC Maja 1982 SLO 3:03.53 171.85
44 47 3425024 SANDBAKKEN Ellen 1983 NOR 3:03.98 175.21
45 48 3425021 PEDERSEN Lena C. 1983 NOR 3:04.44 178.65

Did not start :

ENGESLAND Ingvild (NOR), TYLDUM Ingri Aunet (NOR), ROALDSETH Marit (NOR), THERIAULT Milaine (CAN)

Did not finish :

PARUZZI Gabriella (ITA)

Men's Qualifying Results -- Drammen World Cup Classic Sprint:

1 12 3420036 ROENNING Eldar 1982 NOR 2:16.21 0.00
2 1 1092511 HETLAND Tor Arne 1974 NOR 2:17.87 14.62
3 3 3420012 NAESS Boerre 1982 NOR 2:18.21 17.62
4 22 1185340 IVERSEN Trond 1976 NOR 2:19.56 29.51
5 16 1243540 OESTBERG Mikael 1977 SWE 2:19.82 31.80
6 35 3500274 MYHLBACK Petter 1976 SWE 2:19.84 31.98
7 33 3420077 HATTESTAD Ola Vigen 1982 NOR 2:20.08 34.09
8 8 1370707 LIND Bjoern 1978 SWE 2:20.33 36.30
9 19 3420131 KJOELSTAD Johan 1983 NOR 2:20.59 38.59
10 14 3390008 SAAREPUU Anti 1983 EST 2:21.63 47.75
11 11 1230930 SVARTEDAL Jens Arne 1976 NOR 2:22.14 52.24
12 56 3420011 KVEEN Stig Rune 1980 NOR 2:23.17 61.32
13 17 1192130 FREDRIKSSON Thobias 1975 SWE 2:23.26 62.11
14 27 1219193 PYYKOENEN Lauri 1978 FIN 2:23.94 68.10
15 5 3390001 JALLAI Erkki 1981 EST 2:24.22 70.57
16 20 3420002 DAHL John Kristian 1981 NOR 2:24.34 71.62
17 2 1344905 KURTTILA Keijo 1975 FIN 2:24.35 71.71
18 4 1153621 BRINK Joergen 1974 SWE 2:24.42 72.33
19 23 1276617 ONDA Yuichi 1980 JPN 2:24.45 72.59
20 24 1238787 HOEGBERG Anders 1976 SWE 2:24.50 73.03
21 13 1319200 LARSSON Mats 1980 SWE 2:25.11 78.41
22 63 1368573 MORTENSEN Arne 1979 NOR 2:25.19 79.11
23 6 1268566 EIGENMANN Christoph 1979 SUI 2:25.82 84.66
23 18 1291458 NARUSK Priit 1977 EST 2:25.82 84.66
25 7 1093869 KREZELOK Janusz 1974 POL 2:26.06 86.78
26 9 1376430 JOUTSEN Jari 1978 FIN 2:26.32 89.07
27 21 1374975 ROTCHEV Vassili 1980 RUS 2:26.33 89.16
28 54 3420107 THUN Stein Vidar NOR 2:26.75 92.86
29 10 1181072 SCHWIENBACHER Freddy 1975 ITA 2:27.78 101.93
30 15 1223267 PASINI Renato 1977 ITA 2:27.83 102.37
31 64 3420230 BAKKEJORD Erik 1983 NOR 2:27.91 103.08
32 29 3530005 NEWELL Andrew 1983 USA 2:28.11 104.84
33 48 3390003 KUMMEL Peeter 1982 EST 2:28.30 106.51
34 57 3420015 PEDERSEN Audun 1980 NOR 2:28.75 110.48
35 53 3420239 NORTHUG Petter 1986 NOR 2:28.86 111.45
36 51 3420089 PETTERSEN Oeystein 1983 NOR 2:28.98 112.50
37 58 3420150 AARDAL Asgeir 1983 NOR 2:29.16 114.09
38 34 3100004 GOLDSACK Drew 1981 CAN 2:29.42 116.38
39 25 3480015 ALYPOV Ivan 1982 RUS 2:29.66 118.49
40 32 1248390 OESTBERG Fredrik 1979 SWE 2:29.69 118.76
41 50 1263425 TRONDSEN Krister 1978 NOR 2:29.74 119.20
42 37 1310470 KRECZMER Maciej 1981 POL 2:29.99 121.40
42 41 1344808 KITTILAE Kusti 1981 FIN 2:29.99 121.40
44 31 1298054 PASINI Fabio 1980 ITA 2:30.00 121.49
45 26 1235877 VON ALLMEN Peter 1978 SUI 2:30.05 121.93
46 36 3480041 EGOSHIN Dmitriy 1981 RUS 2:30.08 122.19
47 60 3420304 AASEN Tommy 1981 NOR 2:30.86 129.07
48 52 3420004 FINSTAD Arnstein 1978 NOR 2:30.96 129.95
49 28 3500005 BYSTROEM Fredrik 1982 SWE 2:30.98 130.12
50 39 1249069 MURRAY Paul 1977 AUS 2:31.69 136.38
51 38 1365954 KOOS Torin 1980 USA 2:32.04 139.46
52 47 1302128 YAMAGISHI Osamu 1979 JPN 2:32.56 144.04
53 62 3420135 BJOERGAARD John 1980 NOR 2:32.89 146.95
54 30 3100006 KERSHAW Devon 1982 CAN 2:33.26 150.21
55 49 1230542 SKAAREN Arve 1977 NOR 2:33.73 154.35
56 42 1358582 BRODAR Nejc 1982 SLO 2:35.59 170.74
57 43 1366051 SIMONS Zack 1981 USA 2:35.89 173.38
58 61 3420298 VATN Haavard 1983 NOR 2:36.23 176.37
59 46 1051480 IMAI Hiroyuki 1970 JPN 2:36.68 180.34
60 55 3420194 MULLER Rune 1982 NOR 2:36.71 180.60
61 45 1337727 GIESE Chad 1976 USA 2:37.37 186.42
62 44 1156628 CHAMBERLAIN David 1975 USA 2:37.94 191.44
63 59 3420112 SKROEDAL Kristian Sveaas 1981 NOR 2:39.17 202.28
64 40 1367215 HONDA Shohei 1982 JPN 2:43.18 237.60

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