The 2020/2021 World Cup has officially come to an end! APU Nordic’s Rosie Brennan finished 12th with APU teammate Hailey Swirbul finishing 53rd in the women’s 30k. APU Nordic Men finished out the year in the 50k with Scott Patterson and David Norris next to each other in 25th and 26th place and Hunter Wonders matching Hailey’s finish at 53rd. (Read: US Ski & Snowboard World Cup recap)
Rosie Brennan competes in the Women’s 10K at the World Championships on March 2, 2021
APU teammates Scott Patterson and David Norris after the Men’s 15k at the World Championships. Patterson placed 10th and Norris 16th.
The final World Cup race followed the World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany where one of our APU Skiers, Scott Patterson, had one of the best finishes of his career placing 10th in the 50K (with APU Nordic men David Norris in16th and Hunter Wonders in 37th), while another skied her last race ever. Sadie Bjornsen capped her 15-year career finishing 15th in the women’s 30K freestyle event. (Read: Bjornsen finishes career with top-15 World Championships result)
Just days before, Sadie and her relay team (APU Nordic teammates Hailey Swirbul and Rosie Brennan and U.S. Ski teammate, Jessie Diggins) missed a podium finish by just eight-tenths of a second! There was much to celebrate after 2 long weeks of prep and races, and we were happy the athletes enjoyed the races in a fun and Covid-safe environment over in Europe. (Read: World Championship relay recap)
The end of the season was capped with a historic moment for U.S. Skiing with Jessie Diggins winning the FIS World Cup Overall Crystal Globe and the World Cup distance discipline Crystal Globe. Just making it to the finish line for all skiers was a victory in and of itself following a chaotic season completed in the shadow of a worldwide pandemic. Five World Cup events were canceled this season during the pandemic, while others were rescheduled.
Relay teammates Hailey Swirbul and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen at the World Championships in Germany.
“A real highlight for me is that our women’s team finished second in the nation’s cup!” Rosie said. “That shows the depth we are building and momentum we have behind us right now, not to mention the resiliency we all showed navigating one of the more stressful and uncertain seasons I have ever experienced…”Brennan finished 12th to wrap up her most successful season ever, finishing fourth in the overall World Cup standings and fourth in the distance standings. “Last year, I was 15th (overall) and that was my best ranking to date, so to have moved up to fourth is a massive improvement and shows some of the big steps I made this season,” Brennan said. “It’s incredibly challenging to put together a perfect season when you pack your bag in November and live out of a suitcase for four to five months…I am inspired to keep trying to put together good races throughout the whole season.”
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen competes in the Women’s 10K at the World Championships on March 2, 2021.
