Olympian Randall excited to be in Maine

PRESQUE ISLE – Kikkan Randall is ready to have a little fun on the race course.

The two-time cross country skiing Olympian, who competed just last month in Torino during the winter games, is in Presque Isle this week to take part in the USSA Super Tour Finals, which are being hosted by the Nordic Heritage Ski Club.

The 23-year-old who hails from Anchorage, Alaska, said Wednesday that with a season of great races under her belt, she’s going to race her heart out during the finals but that she’s going to soak up every bit of fun from it, too.

Randall placed fifth at the Borlange World Cup in Sweden and ninth during the 1.2 kilometer freestyle sprint at the 2006 Olympics – the best-ever finish by a U.S. woman in an Olympic cross country event.

“This season, my focus was to do well at the national championships, World Cups and Olympics, so this [the finals] is fun for me,” Randall said. “This is the last race of the year, and everyone still puts everything on the line, but it’s definitely time for fun.”

Randall is one of several Olympians among more than 150 senior elite athletes expected to take part in the TAMC International Spring Series, which will be held March 18-26 as part of the USSA Super Tour.

The event overlaps with another cross country skiing event, the New England Nordic Skiing Association’s Eastern High School Cross Country Ski Championships, which will be held Friday through Sunday at the Nordic Heritage Center. About 200 high school athletes from six states are expected to participate in the first-ever championship in northern Maine. Each state team may bring their top 25 boys and top 25 girls to the competition; 12 of the Maine athletes hail from Aroostook County.

While there will be several races for the high schoolers, officials and Randall agree that one of the most beneficial will be the NENSA elite sprint on March 18, when student skiers will watch the Super Tour competitors race. Officials planned the event to expose high school athletes to the elite athletes in their field.

Randall pointed out that the event is an excellent opportunity for New England students.

“Getting high school skiers to mingle with elite athletes is so important to the continuation of the sport,” and a great way for athletes to gauge their athletic abilities against elite racers, she said.

Ski club officials will also host the International Ski Federation’s Marathon Cup on March 26.

With a few days before any of the races begin, though, Randall said she’ll spend time training at Maine Winter Sports Center facilities – facilities she knew about before she even stepped foot in the region.

“I’ve been hearing a lot about it and finally wanted to see it for myself,” she said.

Citing a “wonderful set of trails” and the Maine Winter Sports Center’s commitment toward the development of local winter sports athletes, Randall said she was “very impressed.”

“Only a few organizations in this country are providing this level of support,” she said. “Being here, I can see and hear the excitement and enthusiasm. It’s great to be in a place so supportive of the sport.”

For more information about the skiing events being hosted by the Nordic Heritage Ski Club, visit www.nordicheritagecenter.org.