Hello! This is Hannah Rudd, checking in from Italy, where the OPA Cup Finals will be held from March 12-13. We have a few BSF athletes representing the U.S on this trip including Mariah, Logan, Finn, and myself. To prepare for these races, we had a training camp beforehand in Toblach which is just an hour Northwest of our race venue in Sappada. This pre-camp gave us the opportunity to adjust to the time zone, acclimate to the altitude, and get in some quality training before the races begin. There are nine women and four men on this trip, along with some great wax techs and coaching staff (including Andy!).

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After a long 13-hour sleep, we arose from the dead and wentout skiing on the Nordic trails right across the street from our hotel. The trail system here is quite amazing and is also home to the Toblach World Cup.

On our third day in Italy, we were able to do a point-to-point ski, starting in Cortina (the site of the next winter Olympics) and ending in Toblach. This 30-kilometer ski was filled with endless scenic overviews, tunnels through the Dolomites, cappuccino/strudel cabins, and somuch sunshine. This ski was definitely one of my highlights of the trip so far.

Other highlights from the trip have included exploring the town during our afternoon jogs, getting to know the team better during our long, multiple course Italian meals, doing intervals on the World Cup course,soaking up the sun on our hotel balconies, exploring beautiful churches and castles, and of course, all the amazing baked goods.

As for now, we just arrived in Sappada, Italy, where the OPA Cup Finals races will be held this weekend. The women will be competing in a 10k skate mass start and a 10k classic individual start. The men will be doing a 15k skate and a 15k classic. The group is excited for the races to get underway and will have another update shortly!

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Ciao,

Hannah

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