Sprint pleases Newell

The 2002 Stratton Mountain School graduate from Shaftsbury, Vt., is gearing up for this weekend’s competition on the man-made snow-covered streets and sidewalks of Dusseldorf, Germany, with a stretch along the Rhine. Newell, 27, excels in the sprint, in which athletes first ski a qualification round before going head-to-head in six-skier heats to advance to the finals. He also competes in relays and distance races, compiling lukewarm results this season.

During the pre-Thanksgiving World Cup opener in Gallivare, Sweden, Newell finished the 15-kilometer freestyle 87th in a race in which teammate Kris Freeman cracked the top 10. He also skied the first leg of the US team’s 17th-place finish in the four-person mixed technique relays.

The day after his strong showing in the Kuusamo sprint in a field of 125 racers, he ended up 89th in the classic 10K.

“I’m a better sprinter, but I compare it to being a track athlete,’’ he said. “That’s like saying you’re better at the 400, but you also have to compete in the 1,500 and 3,000.’’

Though Newell wants more sprint podiums and a World Championship medal, he also has an eye on the 2014 Olympics and becoming a better distance racer.

“This is a transitional year for me,’’ he said. “I’m working on getting better at distance races. Being in 80th place or in the top 30 is a slim margin. Often times 10 seconds can pick you up 15 or 20 spots.’’

Newell expects to spend most of the winter racing in Europe and then split his time between Vermont and Park City, Utah.