Gold Medalist Gives Out Pointers in Golden Valley

Olympic gold-medal-winning cross country skier Kikkan Randall stopped by Theodore Wirth Park on Wednesday. She checked out the sprint course for next year’s Cross Country World Cup race. Then, she also spoke with Junior Loppet athletes.

“Kikkan visiting with the Junior Loppet athletes was a perfect demonstration of what we do,” said Anthony Taylor, adventures director for the Loppet Foundation in a press release. “Our initiatives serve everyone from fourth-graders learning to ski for the first time to Olympic-caliber athletes coming here to race. It’s so cool to see those worlds collide at The Trailhead.”

Randall won gold medal a year ago in Pyeongchang with Minnesota-native Jessie Diggins in the team sprint freestyle.

She also came to Theodore Wirth Park to preview the sprint course for the FIS Cross-Country World Cup race coming to Minneapolis next year. This will be the first time a World Cup race has been held on U.S. soil in nearly two decades.

Golden Valley