Junior World Championships: Classic Distance Recap
Sunday brought the final day of the U23 and Junior World Ski Championships, as the Juniors wrapped up the week with a classic distance race. The Junior women raced a 15 kilometerrace, whereas the men raced 30 kilometers. Nina Seemann, of Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club, competed in the 15 kilometer race as her third event of the week.
Seemann was one of three American women to start Sunday’s classic race. Vermonter Ava Thurston led the way with a 40thplace finish. Seemann and Waverly Gebhardt (University of Vermont) worked together throughout the race, finishing just two-tenths of a second apart. Seemann reflects on her week at the Junior World Championships, “It has been a very challenging year with the impacts of Covid-19, but I am very happy that World Juniors was still able to happen and bring us together to celebrate cross country skiing. It has been incredible to race against the best Junior skiers in the world and to become friends with athletes from many different countries. I have learned so much from my racing experiences here and am motivated to continue to train hard for this great sport.”
Seemann and Gebhardt charging off the line in the 15 kilometer classic race. Credit: Tomi Mäkipää
This year’s U23 and Junior World Championships helped to provide a sense of normalcy in an otherwise uncertain season of racing. Numerous added precautions and safety measures were in place for the event to run smoothly, allowing American skiers the chance to gain international racing experience and to shine on the world stage. Now that the Championships have ended, Craftsbury athletes Finn Sweet, Alex Lawson, and Seemann plan to return to Vermont to finish the season locally.
Results: