Clare-Louise Brumley has qualified for her second event at Torino 2006, finishing in 40th place in the 15km freestyle mass start at a World Cup in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Clare-Louise Brumley has qualified for her second event at Torino 2006, finishing in 40th place in the 15km freestyle mass start at a World Cup in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Brumley covered the course in a time of 44 minutes 30.5 seconds, three minutes 39.5 behind race winner Katerina Neumannova of the Czech Republic.
She was in last place after the first 500m of the event, but as usual picked up the pace as the race progressed. After the first 3.75km lap she was in 50th position, after 7.5km had moved up to 42nd, then had to fight hard over the second half of the race to pick up the next two spots.
The end result of 40th is possibly the best ever distance World Cup result for an Australian female cross country skier, and bodes well for her form coming into the Olympics next month.
The placing put the Melbourne 28-year-old well inside the top 80 per cent of field result she needed to qualify for selection to the 30km mass start freestyle event in the 2006 Games.
Brumley had already met the qualifying standard for the pursuit event.
Team-mates KT Calder and Ben Derrick both fell short of the top 80 per cent mark.
Calder, who has battled injury and illness in the second half of 2005 and during the season, failed to complete the course, while Derrick finished in 70th place.
Derrick and Ben Sim have one more chance to post a qualifying result for the Games, in a World Cup pursuit in Oberstdorf on January 21. KT Calder is an unlikely starter in the women's event at this stage.
Brumley covered the course in a time of 44 minutes 30.5 seconds, three minutes 39.5 behind race winner Katerina Neumannova of the Czech Republic.
She was in last place after the first 500m of the event, but as usual picked up the pace as the race progressed. After the first 3.75km lap she was in 50th position, after 7.5km had moved up to 42nd, then had to fight hard over the second half of the race to pick up the next two spots.
The end result of 40th is possibly the best ever distance World Cup result for an Australian female cross country skier, and bodes well for her form coming into the Olympics next month.
The placing put the Melbourne 28-year-old well inside the top 80 per cent of field result she needed to qualify for selection to the 30km mass start freestyle event in the 2006 Games.
Brumley had already met the qualifying standard for the pursuit event.
Team-mates KT Calder and Ben Derrick both fell short of the top 80 per cent mark.
Calder, who has battled injury and illness in the second half of 2005 and during the season, failed to complete the course, while Derrick finished in 70th place.
Derrick and Ben Sim have one more chance to post a qualifying result for the Games, in a World Cup pursuit in Oberstdorf on January 21. KT Calder is an unlikely starter in the women's event at this stage.
