‘Anything’s possible’: Potato Cup winners take difficult path to the finish line

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFK/KIDK) - Dozens gathered at the East Fork Mink Creek Nordic Center in Pocatello Saturday for the 2020 Potato Cup. 

This year, some of the race’s winners had a more difficult path to the finish line than others. 

“Last December, December 2018, I tore my ACL downhill skiing,” Victoria Medvedeva, winner of the 5K race, said. “So this season is the first time I’ve cross country skied in about a year.”

The 17-year-old was among the nearly 40 competitors racing to be top spud. She spent nearly a year rehabbing, now she’s a winner. 

“Anything’s possible,” Medvedeva said. “If you work hard, you can do anything really.” 

Sam Krieg, the winner of the 15K race, wasn’t well versed in winter sports until he moved to the Gem State.

“I’m from Iowa originally, but I came here via Tennessee, so no skiing obviously,” he said. “It was either learn to embrace and love winter or move back to Tennessee.”

Several years ago, Krieg suffered a serious back injury snowboarding and decided to make the switch over to nordic skiing. But the transition wasn’t easy at first.

“I came out and actually skied the Potato Cup, this is a bunch of years ago, and I think I got second to last. And I think the only reason I got second to last is the guy in front of me fell with a quarter-mile to go.” 

Since then, Kreig has worked to improve both his technique and his finishes. 

“Balance is a huge factor. So you start working on the balance components of it, which seems so simple because we all think we have good balance, but when you get out on a pair of really skinny, slippery skis, you realize how bad your balance is.” 

Both Kreig and Medvedeva plan to return for the races next year.