Kikkan to skip 10k, focus on sprint

February 14, 2010

by Andrew Hinkelman
Sunday, February 14, 2010

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Kikkan Randall said Sunday she would skip the first cross-country ski race of the 2010 Winter Olympics in order to focus on her best event.

Randall had been slated to ski in Monday's women's 10-kilometer race, but used her Twitter feed Sunday to say she was bowing out to be more prepared for Wednesday's sprint.

The sprint is Randall's best event -- she became the first American woman to win a World Cup event in a sprint race two years ago -- and is widely considered her best chance at a medal.

There are two other distance races later on in the Olympics -- a 15-k on Friday and the 30-k on Feb. 27 -- plus a team sprint and relay she could also potentially ski in.

Holly Brooks, Randall's Alaska Pacific University coach, will likely ski in Monday's 10-k. James Southam, another APU skier, is scheduled for the men's 15-k, also on Monday.

Contact Andrew Hinkelman at ahinkelman@ktuu.com. Read Channel 2's blog from British Columbia and follow @KTUUSports on Twitter.

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