What to expect at the World Cup cross-country ski event in Minneapolis

Few World Cup skiers are familiar with the cross-country courses at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. Zach Ketterson knows it inside out, dating back to his days on the Bloomington-Jefferson High School and Loppet Nordic Racing ski teams. Ketterson, a member of the U.S. national cross country team, is in his third season of World Cup competition and will compete in the SuperTour event at Theodore Wirth Park (the circuit just below the World Cup). He is participating. The Minneapolis resident shared his thoughts on the courses for this weekend’s 1.3-kilometre sprint race and 10-kilometre distance race and how he will take on the world’s best skiers.

How does Wirth’s course compare to World Cup venues in Europe?

There is not much snow this year, so most of the snow will be artificial. Add to that a bit of warm weather and you often get super fast snow. Like wicked speed. [The courses are also] It’s a little less hilly. I think the combination of a bit of flat snow and very fast artificial snow will result in much faster snow and faster trails than we’ve seen a lot so far this year. It’s probably going to be much faster than many other World Cups and it’s going to be really fun.

How difficult are these courses?

You might think that the flatter the course, the easier it is. Wirth’s distance course is less hilly than some courses found in Europe, but the speeds are so high that you have to practice all the time. At the end of the day, I think it’s just as difficult as anything else.

The sprint course has two very nice hills. One of the unique things about it is that it’s a fast finish, basically going straight downhill to the finish line. That would be really interesting. Some venues have very long finishing stretches where a lot of movement can occur. But this doesn’t leave much room for overtaking or overtaking at the finish. It will be interesting to see how skiers position themselves. They know they don’t have a reliable long goal to outrun people, so they might need to think about it sooner.

What tactics and skills are required for each course?

The 10km race is an interval start. Every 30 seconds he takes off one skier and the fastest time wins. This means you have to skate at a high pace the entire time, and no one can help you if you skate behind them. The snow can get very fast and the trails aren’t too undulating, so I think it’s suitable for skiers who are used to high speeds and can do a lot of downhills and corners. Jesse Diggins is very good at that. I think it’s the type of course that really plays to her strengths.

The sprint course has a slightly flat section at the beginning, followed by two large hills. The first one is a little more gradual, so I don’t think you’ll see as much movement or shaking. The biggest feature of this course is its second hill. It has a fairly steep slope and is quite wide. I think you’ll see a lot of skiers trying to get to the front there and fighting for position. From the top of that hill it’s basically just downhill to a short finish. It’s generally pretty difficult to make a wide pass from the top of the hill to the finish unless you pull a miracle. That second hill is going to be a really, really important part of the Heat’s sprint.

Which parts of each course will have the most impact on the results and will be the areas that make or break the race?

On a sprint course, that second hill really tests people’s climbing ability. When skiing in the heat with a group of six, you want to be closer to the front at the top of the hill.

On distance courses, how you skate downhill, flat, and in turns is important. When skiers consider a course, they often focus on the big climbs. However, on a course like this without major uphill slopes, you need to be conscious of every corner of the course. How should I ski this corner? How can I get speed on this downhill slope? After 10,000 attempts, all these little points start to add up. On hilly courses, it’s less important because the fastest person down the hill often wins. Courses like this require you to stay alert at all times.

Will it be helpful to familiarize myself with the course?

yes. If you haven’t been yet, it’s important to pay attention to how the course slides and keep in mind some turns and downhills. There are some courses where you basically skate down a hill for 10 minutes straight, and it’s up to you to see who has the most stamina and who can get to the top of the hill the fastest. On a track like this with no nightmare hills, the whole package is important. Skiers with a good approach will be rewarded.