Bellingham goes close in NZ Winter Games Sprint

Published Fri 08 Sep 2017

Matt Bartolo/Finn Marsland
olympics.com.au/Australian Cross Country

Aussie Phil Belligham has secured Australia's best finish in the Classic Sprint events at the NZ Winter Games finishing just off the podium in fourth. 

Bellingham got off to the best possible start over his preferred distance by clocking the fastest time in qualification before progressing through the quarter and semi-finals.

After slipping with grip in the semi-final, Bellingham opted to double-pole the A-final without grip wax, however his arms ran out of juice and he ended up 4th. The final was won by Ben Saxton from the USA ahead of Thursday's 10km winner Ben Lustgarten, with Kaichi Naruse from Japan taking 3rd.

"I was happy to have a good qualifying run and to ski strongly through the quarter and semi, but unfortunately I ran out of steam in the final," said Sochi 2014 Olympian Bellingham.

"Overall I'm super happy with where my shape is at for this time of year leading into the Olympic season."

Fellow Aussies Paul Kovacs was 9th and Ewan Watson 12th after both were knocked out in the quarter-final.

In the women's event it was Barbara Jezersek that led the way placing 7th overal,, after making it through to the semi-finals after being fourth in qualification.  

Katerina Paul also had a good qualifer in 8th place before she narrowly missed making the semis. Aimee Watson, Sarah Slattery and Alecia Phillips finished 11th, 15th and 16th.

Sophie Caldwell from the USA won the A-final ahead of compatriots Ida Sargent and Caitlin Patterson. Caldwell blasted the field in the qualification and went through to take the win. Caldwell has twice been on a World Cup podium for sprint, winning the Classic Sprint in Oberstdorf in 2016.

With the final race of the NZWG tomorrow Bellingham and Jezserek have an unassailable lead in the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup.