Paul Murray has achieved Australia's best ever placeing at a Cross Country Skiing World Championship, 31st place in the 1.
Paul Murray has achieved Australia's best ever placeing at a Cross Country Skiing World Championship, 31st place in the 1.2km sprint classic in Oberstdorf, Germany.
Paul was 8.7 seconds behind the fastest qualifier Vassili Rotchev from Russia and 2.7 seconds outside the finals. Although an impressive result, it was also a day to consider what might have been. At the 900m mark, just before the top of the second hill with only a downhill and the finish straight to go Paul was a serious chance for pulling a sensational result and qualifying for the finals in the top 16.
Paul was 1-2 seconds ahead of many of the skiers between him and a spot in the finals, including Andrew Newell from the USA who qualified in 16th place and Swedish skiers Ostberg and Brink who qualified 24th and 27th. Unfortunately that was Paul's race spent, and in the final 200m double pole when normally he would have been comparable with the top skiers, he dropped out of contention and out of the top 30.
Ben Sim skied his best classic sprint ever 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 8 seconds back in 64th place, an improvement on his Reit im Winkl World Cup a week ago. Ben Derrick in his second classic sprint ever was 71st, 4.5 seconds behind Mocky.
In the women's sprint Esther Bottomley also skied her best ever 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 skied a pretty good race for having been sick on and off for the last 6 weeks (and having barely skied in the last week) to finish in 58th, 4.2 seconds behind Esther. A fit and healthy KT could have done well today; but unfortunately this was not to be. Clare-Louise Brumley was another second further back and 61st in her first classic sprint.
(story courtesy of the XC files)
Paul was 8.7 seconds behind the fastest qualifier Vassili Rotchev from Russia and 2.7 seconds outside the finals. Although an impressive result, it was also a day to consider what might have been. At the 900m mark, just before the top of the second hill with only a downhill and the finish straight to go Paul was a serious chance for pulling a sensational result and qualifying for the finals in the top 16.
Paul was 1-2 seconds ahead of many of the skiers between him and a spot in the finals, including Andrew Newell from the USA who qualified in 16th place and Swedish skiers Ostberg and Brink who qualified 24th and 27th. Unfortunately that was Paul's race spent, and in the final 200m double pole when normally he would have been comparable with the top skiers, he dropped out of contention and out of the top 30.
Ben Sim skied his best classic sprint ever 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 8 seconds back in 64th place, an improvement on his Reit im Winkl World Cup a week ago. Ben Derrick in his second classic sprint ever was 71st, 4.5 seconds behind Mocky.
In the women's sprint Esther Bottomley also skied her best ever 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 skied a pretty good race for having been sick on and off for the last 6 weeks (and having barely skied in the last week) to finish in 58th, 4.2 seconds behind Esther. A fit and healthy KT could have done well today; but unfortunately this was not to be. Clare-Louise Brumley was another second further back and 61st in her first classic sprint.
(story courtesy of the XC files)
