BY HEATHER FOSTER

In a trip that has just been getting better and better, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation  Comp Team and U.S. Development team member Sammy Smith continues to show the world what she can do.

In Tuesday’s freestyle sprint in Tallinn, Estonia, Smith once again qualified for the heats by placing 19^th in the qualifier. The top 30 move on to compete in heats of six and then finish with an A final and a B final for the top twelve spots.

Smith finished 30^th overall.

SVSEF XC Gold Team and U.S. Ski Team member Kevin Bolger finished 55^th in the qualifier, just missing the heats. 

This has been an epic trip for 17-year-old Smith, who is competing on her first world cup circuit after a successful showing at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships. She was originally set to compete in four World Cup sprints but was given two more starts—the 10km freestyle in Tallinn as well as the 4X5km relay.  As luck would have it, she was on the same relay team as SVSEF teammate Kevin Bolger, who skied the third leg in the relay and tagged off to Smith.

She has been lining up at the start with Jessie Diggins, who has been setting American records on the World Cup circuit this year.  

  “Sammy’s debut in the World Cup has been incredible,” said SVSEF XC Gold Team Head Coach Chris Mallory. “While she went over there excited to gain some experience in sprinting, she stepped up to the challenge and qualified for heats in the top 30 twice! It was also really cool to see her and fellow Gold Teamer Kevin Bolger on the same USA Relay team in Falun, Sweden, where they battled for 11th place on the day.” 

  Smith and Bolger are both set to compete in the final World Cup Sprint this weekend in Lahti, Finland.