Paul Murray has led the Australian results at the 2005 Nordic World Championship in Oberstdorf, Germany, producing Australia's best placing at a world title event with a 31st place in the 1.
Paul Murray has led the Australian results at the 2005 Nordic World Championship in Oberstdorf, Germany, producing Australia's best placing at a world title event with a 31st place in the 1.2km sprint classic.
Murray was 8.7 seconds behind the fastest qualifier, Vassili Rotchev from Russia, and 2.7 seconds outside the finals.
Ben Sim skied his best classic sprint to finish in 54th place out of 89 starters, 16.8 seconds off the pace and ahead of a lot of handy sprinters. Andrew Mock was another eight seconds back in 64th place, an improvement on his Reit im Winkl World Cup a week ago, and Ben Derrick in his second classic sprint ever was 71st, 4.5 seconds behind Mock.
In the women's sprint Esther Bottomley also skied her best classic sprint to take 51st place from 73 starters, 18.2 seconds behind the fastest qualifier and eventual race winner Emelie Ohrstig from Sweden.
KT Calder battled six weeks of illness and lack of training to finish in 58th place, and Clare-Louise Brumley was another second further back and 61st in her first classic sprint.
In other notable results, the Australian sprint relay team of Ben Sim and Paul Murray finished 18th of the 24 nations competing, but had a significant moment of glory during the semi-final. Up against teams from Sweden, the Czech Republic, Canada, USA, Switzerland, Kazakstan, Ukraine, Estonia, Belorussia, China and Armenia, Sim skied into second place on the first leg of the event, then changed over to Paul Murray in fourth place, startling the stadium announcer who clearly did not expect to be declaring that Australia was up with the leaders.
Unfortunately it went downhill from there, though the team did finish in ninth pace in the semi, Norway went on to win the sprint relay.
Earlier in the championships, Clare-Louise Brumley had put in great performance in her first world stage event, finishing 52nd out of 73 starters in the women's 10km freestyle.
In the 2x7.5 km double pursuit two days later, she finshed in 49th place in a field 67 starters, recording a time of 49:17.4.
In the men's 15km freestyle event, Australia had a full 4-skier contingent, and three of them managed to finish within 20 seconds of each other. Ben Derrick took 80th place 4:45 behind the winner Piller-Cottrer of Italy; Ben Sim 81st 4:57 back; and Andrew Mock 5:04 behind. Paul Murray struggled the most, finishing in 101st place 7 minutes off the pace, well off from his distance skiing of late December.
Murray was 8.7 seconds behind the fastest qualifier, Vassili Rotchev from Russia, and 2.7 seconds outside the finals.
Ben Sim skied his best classic sprint to finish in 54th place out of 89 starters, 16.8 seconds off the pace and ahead of a lot of handy sprinters. Andrew Mock was another eight seconds back in 64th place, an improvement on his Reit im Winkl World Cup a week ago, and Ben Derrick in his second classic sprint ever was 71st, 4.5 seconds behind Mock.
In the women's sprint Esther Bottomley also skied her best classic sprint to take 51st place from 73 starters, 18.2 seconds behind the fastest qualifier and eventual race winner Emelie Ohrstig from Sweden.
KT Calder battled six weeks of illness and lack of training to finish in 58th place, and Clare-Louise Brumley was another second further back and 61st in her first classic sprint.
In other notable results, the Australian sprint relay team of Ben Sim and Paul Murray finished 18th of the 24 nations competing, but had a significant moment of glory during the semi-final. Up against teams from Sweden, the Czech Republic, Canada, USA, Switzerland, Kazakstan, Ukraine, Estonia, Belorussia, China and Armenia, Sim skied into second place on the first leg of the event, then changed over to Paul Murray in fourth place, startling the stadium announcer who clearly did not expect to be declaring that Australia was up with the leaders.
Unfortunately it went downhill from there, though the team did finish in ninth pace in the semi, Norway went on to win the sprint relay.
Earlier in the championships, Clare-Louise Brumley had put in great performance in her first world stage event, finishing 52nd out of 73 starters in the women's 10km freestyle.
In the 2x7.5 km double pursuit two days later, she finshed in 49th place in a field 67 starters, recording a time of 49:17.4.
In the men's 15km freestyle event, Australia had a full 4-skier contingent, and three of them managed to finish within 20 seconds of each other. Ben Derrick took 80th place 4:45 behind the winner Piller-Cottrer of Italy; Ben Sim 81st 4:57 back; and Andrew Mock 5:04 behind. Paul Murray struggled the most, finishing in 101st place 7 minutes off the pace, well off from his distance skiing of late December.
