Sun Valley native and Dartmouth graduate Mike Sinnott will compete for the second time at the National Cross-Country Skiing Championships in Anchorage, Alaska, during the first week in January.
It could be his last stop before the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Currently ranked sixth overall in the nation, Sinnott has trained under the guidance of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation since he was 13. He represented the U.S. at the Scandinavian Cup twice, was a junior national champion twice, and an All-American four times.
In 2000 and 2002 Sinnott helped lead the Wood River High School team to national championships.
"He is tenacious, absolutely one of the top Nordic skiers in the country," said SVSEF Olympic Development Coach Travis Jones. "You don't want to get in a competition with him over anything. Not about a book you've both read. Not even over something he thinks he can cook better than you."
Sinott trains on average 720 hours per year and races 30 times a year, in classic and freestyle events, alternating between sprints and long distance runs. During summer he will take three- to four-hour runs, alternating with long roller-skiing runs on the bike path.
He has 13 races to complete on the American Super Tour with fellow SVSEF team members before competing in Anchorage. Olympic team members will be chosen based on race results from a 12-month period between January 2009 and January 2010.
This week Sinott is taking advantage of the recent snow dump north of Ketchum.
"I started training with the Olympics in mind about three years ago," he said.
Sinott took a silver and a bronze medal at the nationals last year.
"Right now I am doing less long-distance work and more sprints. It's hard and fast. An important part of training is getting adequate rest to absorb the physiological effects."
Sinnott graduated from Dartmouth College in 2007 with a degree in psychology and neuroscience, culminating his college athletic career as captain of the 2007 NCAA national team champions.
Growing up in the Wood River Valley, he looked up to local racers Pat Casey (currently the national team coach) and Lars Flora, who competed in two winter Olympics.
"Now I have to fight against Lars," said Sinott, who will bring a bit of his college studies to the course in Alaska, and hopefully to Vancouver.
"One side of our brains is good for training—it's goal-oriented. The other side is better for competition. You got to use 'em both and put them to work at the right times."
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
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Nordic skier Mike Sinnott takes a short break from training north of Ketchum earlier this month.
Photo by David N. Seelig
