I promise to get up another post tomorrow with a few more details (and hopefully some pictures!), but for now I wanted to post a big THANK YOU to all the friends and family that are here and those sending emails from far away. It was such an incredible day and it’s even more fun to be able to share it!
Today Kikkan and I got to make history again by winning the Skate Team Sprint World Cup here in Quebec! It was my first time on the top of the podium, and watching the Stars and Stripes get raised to the top of the flagpole was a moment I’d only dreamed about till today.
On the podium they handed out chapagne bottles, and (this is so embarrassing) I could barely pop the bottle top off! I’m barely legal age to drink the stuff, for goodness sake. But still…podium fail. I still got sprayed quite a bit though so tomorrow I’m going to smell super great 🙂
Seeing so many US flags in the crowd, being waved by athletes from my club team SMS, other clubs and college teams who made the trip up, and parents and relatives of the other athletes here, was so cool. My parents, sister, Aunt Holly and Uncle Blair from Toronto, and Grandma all came up to watch, along with my Stillwater High School coach and very good friend, Kris and two of her kids, Siri and Carl. It has been amazing to see them all and very good motivation to perform…I never get to show off for Mom and Dad anymore since I’m in Europe all the time!
The coaches and techs (as always) were such a well-oiled machine – they did their jobs quickly and produced amazing skis. The pit zone was crazy…I’d finish a leg of the relay and as soon as the snow settled, jump out of my Salomons and hand them to Cork, who’d get them brushed up and ready to go again.
The course was wicked fun. It was the coolest city sprint I’ve ever done with all the winding twisting corners…and that jump!!!! It was a super small jump where they put a Quebec banner. But I can’t jump very high anyways (hah) so it was exciting for me.
Tomorrow is the skate sprint, so wish us luck! Go Team USA!
