Interview: Lindsey Weier
December 3, 2001
To say Mahtomedi high school senior Lindsey Weier is off to
a phenomenal start this season would be an understatement.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Weier traveled up to Silver
Star Mountain in British Columbia to compete in the NorAm
events that are part of the Olympic Qualifying races. Not
only did she easily win the Junior divisions, but placed in
the top 10 of the senior women's division, beating out top
U.S. skiers like Barb Jones, Brooke Baughman, and Melissa
Oram, and coming within 30 seconds of Wendy Wagner. Weier
has a unique goal now: to be one of the first high school
age skiers (and first Minnesota born woman) to qualify for
the U.S. Olympic Cross-Country team!
We interviewed Weier by e-mail shortly after she returned
from Canada.
- Skinnyski: Wow, you had some fantastic races at Silver
Star NorAms last weekend! Can you tell us a little about
each of the races?
Weier: Thank you! There were three races. A 6km classic
on Thursday, a 1km freestyle sprint on Friday and a 10km
freestyle on Sunday. The classic race was a lot of fun,
with it being the first race of the year, I didn't really
know what to expect so I just went out there and skied
fast. It was a fast course, the first half was rolling
and the last part of it was mostly downhill so I got a
lot of double poling in. The sprint was a lot of fun too.
It was a very short race so I really don't remember too
much about it. I think the 10km freestyle was my favorite
race. There was a mix up in the start list. They had me
registered in the wrong race so when I went to fix it,
the only available spot on the list was to be the first
woman out of the gate. So I basically skied the first
lap by myself and not knowing how I was doing. It was
a great way to see how I was able to focus. The course
was two 5km laps and the first part was mostly downhill
and the second half the majority was uphill. It also finished
on an uphill too.
- Skinnyski: Your freestyle and classic races placed
you in the top ten in each race, beating a number of top
caliber senior women. Were you surprised by your results?
Weier: I was a bit surprised when I found out. I was
really excited too. I called my parents right away and
could barely get the words out! It was great to finally
be able to race and see that all of the training I did
this summer and fall really paid off.
- Skinnyski: What were the race conditions like?
Weier: The conditions were almost perfect. For the classic
race it was snowing and around 25 so the waxing was very
easy. For the sprints it was almost the same conditions.
Just before my race I used a rub-on fluoro that worked
very well. The freestyle race was just as easy to wax
for. It wasn't as humid as the previous races so I didn't
use any fluoros. My skis were very fast all week and especially
during the races. I thank my dad for helping me with that!
- Skinnyski: What are some of the other major races you
might have on your list this season?
Weier: As of now, I'm headed to Telemark for the 15km
NorAm and the Junior Olympic qualifiers. Then after that
to Bozeman, Montana for Nationals and then from there
I will probably be leaving for Germany for World Juniors.
There is also a chance that I could go to Park City on
the 26th for a one day pursuit, but that isn't for sure
yet. I still have to figure out how I am going to be paying
for this. I also could be headed to Salt Lake for the
Olympics. They take the top six females and in two of
the three races at Silver Star I was the 5th American.
I will also be doing the rest of the JO qualifiers along
with the high school races
- Skinnyski: You've been making great improvements each
season. What has made the biggest difference in your training?
Weier: I think this year running a lot more played a
role in my improvements. Over the summer and fall I did
a number of 5km running races and improved my times every
race. Another factor would be increasing my hours. This
summer I was training 60 hours a month. I also did more
intervals and longer distance. I think I learned how to
train smarter too, I knew when I needed a day off.
| Lindsey Weier is raising funds to compete in the
U.S.
Ski Team Gold Cup race on December 29th at Soldier
Hollow, Utah. The winners of this pursuit race earn a
wild card berth onto the U.S. Olympic Team! If you can
help contribute towards this unique effort:
Please make your check out to Minneapolis Ski Club
and send it to:
Lindsey Weier
333 Ideal Avenue
Mahtomedi, MN 55115
|
Related links
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Video Clip: Rollerskiing on the Afton Coulee - Lindsey &
Lindsay, 2.8MB