Friday Parallel

Friday was the 3rd ever Telemark Parallel race at Howelson Hill in Steamboat. At 2:30 the qualifiers began. All of the racers first did the red course, then the blue. First run Amelie (Swiss) missed one of the gates and second run Thea (Norwegian) also DQed. After the qualifiers I was in 3rd place. The top 2 women got to automatically move to the semi-finals and the rest of us had to duel it out. I was paired with Madi (USA) and we are very close in our skiing. First run I was on the red course and Madi fell, I won by many seconds. Determined to win, Madi beat me in the second run, she skied very well, but because of the first run, I moved on. In the semi-finals I was paired against Anne-Marit (Norwegian). She is an amazing skier and I doubted I could beat her. If the first run (blue course for me) I beat her through the gates, but she caught up in the skate. I was just enough ahead of her that I got to choose the easier finish. Our finish was so close they could not tell for minutes who had won. I beat her by .045 seconds, the closest race of the night. On the second run once again I beat her in the gates, she caught up in the skate but I had an advantage, I got no penalties. That extra second she had to skate made the difference, I won and moved on to the finals. I was beside myself, I was hoping to not lose and next thing I knew I was guaranteed first or second. I was going to race as hard as I possibly could and shoot for the top of that podium. First run of the finals I did well through the gates but I lost some time in the skate, Laura beat me by about 1.5 seconds. Second run was the red course and I knew I would do better. I pushed hard in the gates, beat her to the skate where she then passed me. As we were skating I looked up and saw the most wonderful sight, I got no penalties and she got 2. I was behind her and that 0 was all I needed, as she skated the extra 2 seconds I turned in ahead of her and beat her. I won a world cup. Being on top of the podium, holding the American flag while singing the National Anthem will forever be one of the proudest moments of my life.