[PRESS RELEASE] Five Alaska Pacific University Nordic Skiers qualify for 2017 World Championships

Park City, Utah. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association has named 17 athletes to the cross -country team that will

compete in the International Ski Federation’s 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships next month in Lahti, Finland. Five of those 17 are APU athletes. They include; Kikkan Randall (9th World Championships), Sadie Bjornsen (4th World Championships), Erik Bjornsen (3rd World Championships), Rosie Brennan (2nd World Championships) and Chelsea Holmes (1st World Championships). The Championships take place every other year and bring together the best athletes in the sport. The Championships will take place February 22nd -March 5th and will be livestreamed on NBCsports.com. Full schedule of events can be viewed here.

Kikkan, Sadie, Erik and Rosie qualified based on their international performances on the World Cup circuit and Chelsea qualified based on her success on the domestic SuperTour circuit and 2017 U.S. Nationals performances, which included a National Championship title in the 20k Classic.
Official Press Release from the United States Ski and Snowboard Association can be read here: http://nordic.usskiteam.com/news/strong-us-team-announced-world-champs

Quotes:
Chelsea Holmes on qualifying for her first World Championships-

“I am beyond thrilled! This was absolutely a goal of mine but also completely unexpected, as the US women have an incredibly strong team… which of course makes it that much sweeter! I am so proud to be on my way to World Champs representing APU, Alaska and the US … it is an honor and a privilege!”

Erik Flora- APUNSC Director and Head Elite Team Coach-

“We are excited to have a strong team competing at the World Championships this year. Our athletes are continuing to raise the bar. The hard work, attention to detail, and countless hours of training is paying off. We have spent most of the year pushing the limits, from time on Eagle Glacier skiing in the summer to refining race skills on the World Cup and North American Super Tour. Making Alaska competitive on the world stage is only possible with the support of our community.”