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Kikkan Randall wins World Cup sprint in Nove Mesto

Kikkan Randall

Kikkan Randall, of the United States, competes during a cross-country ski, women’s World Cup Sprint event, in Asiago, northern Italy, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Felice Calabro’)

AP

Kikkan Randall boosted her hopes of becoming the first U.S. Olympic cross-country skiing gold medalist with her first World Cup victory of the season in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, on Saturday.

Randall, set to make her fourth U.S. Olympic Team, easily took her freestyle sprint final by 1.69 seconds over Swiss Laurien Van Der Graaff.

It marked Randall’s first World Cup win since March 9. She finished second in her other freestyle sprint start this season and then skipped two as part of the Tour de Ski.

There are two more freestyle sprints before the Olympics, including one next Saturday.

Randall is the two-time reigning World Cup champion in the sprint.

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