CROSS COUTNRY SKI. Sweden's Ida Ingemarsdotter had a lucky day on January 14th in Milan as she sprints to the first place in free technique sprint and celebrates first World Cup win in her career.

Ingemarsdotter made it through all the way to the finals despite a broken a pole and a lucky loser position. The Swedish top sprinter spurted in the finishing straight over current Sprint World Cup leader Kikkan Randall of USA. Norway's Maiken Caspersen Falla carried on the momentum and grabbed third position.

Ida Ingemarsdotter SWE
Tour de Ski was probably very good training for me with many races. I was luck today. I the quarterfinal someone broke my pole but the everything happened in a good place and got a spare pole. I kept calm and I tried to deliver best performance. In the semifinal I had a bad start and I was trying to catch as fast as possible. The audience was fantastic today with a great number of fans around the whole track.

Kikkan Randall USA
It was a fantastic atmosphere out there today and it was fun to race. I have taken part in every World Cup. I've been in good shape. We have been training to compete. I would like to take part in all the World Cups. I hope I can keep the red jersey till the end of the season. I'm feeling strong and I hope I can make it. I'm really excited about the team sprint tomorrow. I'm having here three teammates and we will have two US teams, which has not happen quite often.

Maiken Caspersen Falla NOR
I am very happy with my performance today. Skiing in Milano was very nice. It is a great city but conditions were very much different for those we are used back in Norway. I was training a lot over Christmas but I was also watching the Tour de Ski. Being on the podium of the Sprint World Cup at the end of the season is one of my main goals for the season. Conditions were rather slow today and they got slower after every heat.

Eirik Brandsdal celebrates first free technique sprint

Eirik Barndsdal was superior in today's sprint free in teh Parco Sempione Milan. Brandsdal edged out the German sprint specialist Josef Wenzl. Teodor Peterson of Sweden claimed third place.

Russia's Alexey Petukhov was in the men's final one of the hottest candidates for victory but it was Eirik Brandsdal and Josef Wenzl who were very acive in the first 600 m of the final heat. From the first meters Ola Vigen Hattestad (NOR) was losing ground and lost contact with the other five athletes.

In the second lap Alexey Petukhov made a move and was closely following Josef Wenzl who was still in command. Sweden's Teodor Peterson was skiing side by side with the Russian. In the last curve before the finishing straight it was the Swede who had the best position followed by Wenzl and Petukhov. Brandsdal was sitting in the fourth place.

Petukhov was on the ski tails of Peterson but the Russian Sprint World Cup leader lost balance and went down with 100 m to go. It was between Peterson, Wenzl and Brandsdal. The Norwegian went from the outside and denied the Wenzl first win in his career. Instead Eirik Brandsdal crossed the finish line in the first place celebrating first win this season. Josef Wenzl claimed secon place and Sweden's Teodor Peterson finished third.

Eirik Brandsdal NOR
I am really satisfied with my first place today. I was feeling heat after heat better and better. I felt strong since the morning. During the Tour de Ski I stayed in my cabins up in the cabins and I was trying to prepare as best as I could for the sprint here. It was a really nice competition. I was surprised how good the competition was. I had expected the course to be more narrow but it was perfect. Conditions were good the whole day. I'm looking forward to the World Cup in Otepää I took my first victory there last year.

Josef Wenzl GER
I am so happy today. It took a while after I was back on the podium but finally I made it. I took my first victory very early in my career in Düsseldorf 2007, then I was on the podium in Vancouver 2009 and now I am back. The last year's were hard but I never give up and now I am just happy. I had a good feeling today and tried always to stay in front and push hard that nobody can overtake me. I will now enjoy the moment together with my team and be back on the start tomorrow.

Teodor Peterson SWE
I'm happy with my third place today. I felt OK right from the beginning. I wanted to go all the way through but in the last 500 m I did not have enough power to go over the finish line in the first place. I have not changed so much in my training but I've been trying to continue good training, which I have been doing in the past years. Next weekend I'm going to Otepää. I like the course there. Eirik won there last year and I will try to have a good match with him there.

FIScrosscountry.com
Saturday 14 January 2012