After taking a couple of years off to get married and have a child,
it's nice to see Smigun is back and nearing the top. In her first
race two weeks ago at Kuusamo, she finished in the mid 20s and today
3rd at Davos in the 10k skate, beating Marit Bjoergen by three seconds
and losing second to Charlotte Kalla by a few tenths. To my mind,
Smigun has always been one of the more sensible skiers out there,
taking breaks during the season on Egyptian beaches and spending
recovery time on Florida ones. She had one unfortunate break several
years ago, as I recall: she was set up to train in the off season with
Bente Skaari, only to have the plug pulled when Skaari decided to
retire.

Gene