Speed and airtime seem to be the secret to speed for Jenn Jackson (the years of training probably don’t hurt, either). The Liv Factory Racing Canuck earned her best-ever World Cup Short Track finish in Araxá, Brazil on Saturday, soaring to fifth place.
The race was won by the Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing). The U.S. racer earned some redemption for her third place XCO finish after leading much of last week’s XCO, reversing her tactics and fortunes to take Saturday’s XCC win in a blistering last-lap attack.
Linda Indergand followed in second, giving Liv Factory Racing two top-five finishes. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford) finished third to make it two U.S. racers on the podium. Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon) finished fourth before Jackson crossed the line in fifth. That result gives Jackson a front-row start for Sunday’s main event, the elite women’s XCO in Araxá.
In the elite men’s XCC, it was all about Specialized Factory Racing. After putting three riders in the top five, including Christopher Blevins’ win, in last week’s XCO World Cup, the team is clearly riding high. Barely an hour after Batten’s win in Araxá, Victor Koretzky and Blevins went 1-2 in the elite men’s XCC.
The fast, high-flying course clearly suited the U.S. champ, who was filmed refreshing his BMX past while playing around on the jump section of the Araxá short track course. When it was time to race, though, Koretzky and Blevins left little to chance. Taking the final podium spot was Cannondale Factory Racing’s Alan Hatherly.
Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) earned Canada’s top finish in 16th, earning him a second-row start for Sunday’s XCO. Gunnar Holmgren (KMC Ridley) also started the elite men’s short track, but registers a DNF.
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