By Gavin Kentch
This is a reader-funded website. Virtually all of my income (for perspective: I took home less than $5,000 from Nordic Insights last year after paying staff) comes from reader contributions, which I sincerely appreciate. If you would like to support the site, including helping us get to the Olympics in February, you may do so here. Thank you.
We are now onto the final two days of the Tour de Ski. Klæbo is presumptively going to win. Jessie Diggins is presumptively going to win. Klæbo thinks that the new 5km skate heat format is silly. Diggins likes it. That’s what makes horse races. Also I don’t see them naming a bridge after Klæbo not saying just saying.
Again, just two days of racing left. Here’s when the classic sprint and final climb will take place.
When will the races be?
The local time at the venue is Central European Time, aka GMT +1. This is six hours ahead of the East Coast and ten hours ahead of Alaska.
Here is when the races will be this weekend.
| date | race | time (AK) | time (EST) | results |
| Saturday, Jan. 3 | W sprint qual | 2:15 a.m. | 6:15 a.m. | here |
| M sprint qual | 2:50 a.m. | 6:50 a.m. | here | |
| classic sprint heats | 4:45 a.m. | 8:45 a.m. | here | |
| Sunday, Jan. 4 | M final climb | 1:30 a.m. | 5:30 a.m. | here |
| W final climb | 5:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | here |
Who will be racing for the U.S.?
Eight athletes, out of ten who started last Sunday, remain in the field for the U.S.: Diggins and Julia Kern for the women, then Jack Young, JC Schoonmaker, Ben Ogden, Gus Schumacher, Zak Ketterson, and Kevin Bolger for the men.
A good portion of the field is still here just so they can get the preview of the Olympic sprint course under race conditions: the World Cup classic sprint on January 3 will be a test run for the Olympic classic sprint on February 10. Look for the pure sprinters, from multiple nations, to withdraw following the sprint and before the final climb.
Who will be racing for other countries?
They’re dropping like flies, unfortunately. Astrid Øyre Slind withdrew. Emma Ribom withdrew. Oskar Opstad Vike is out. Iivo Niskanen is out. Erik Valnes too. Kristin Fosnæs. Coletta Rydzek. Nordic Insights columnist Tabitha Williams. Lauri Vuorinen and Niko Anttola and Krista Pärmäkoski. The last three names on this list are… having trouble making it to the Finnish line.
Annoyed Monkey Ba Dum Tss
When can you read an article about these races on this fine website?
Another good question. We are moving to more of an afternoon-paper model this year, so that I can go skiing in the scant Alaska daylight and not get stuck inside all day waiting for articles, then go out only in the (admittedly lengthy) gloaming and get depressed. Skiing should make people happy, not sad.
So: Wake up, skim the results to see who won, read FIS’s writeup of the day here, and then go for a ski or play with your kids or what have you. Check back here later — much later, candidly, if you live on the East Coast — to see what the athletes had to say about their day. I promise that our… insights will be worth the wait.
You’re reading this on Nordic Insights, one man’s labor of love dedicated to publicizing American skiing. We started with nothing and now we’re going to the Olympics. You can read more about our first three years here, and donate to the Olympics fund here. Thank you for consideration, and, especially, for reading.
