LILLEHAMMER, NORWAY – It’s another day and another medal for Canmore’s Brian McKeever at the season’s first para-nordic IPC World Cup in Norway on Friday (Dec. 13).
McKeever, lead by his guide Graham Nishikawa, claimed his second medal of the season, a silver, with a time of 37:38.4 in the 15-kilometre visually-impaired skate-ski race, finishing behind Russia’s Stanislav Chokhlaev (37:21.3).
This is only the third time in two years that the pair have been knocked off the top step of the podium.
“The body was just too tired today. There was just no ability to go,” said the 40-year-old McKeever in a press release. “We followed the game plan. We started conservatively, and were on pace to win, but when we had to pick it up, it went the other way.”
After a conservative start in second place, the 40-year-old Canadian passed his Russian competitor in the middle stage of the race, but couldn’t hold on for the gold.
“I don’t hate getting beat and it is good to have guys pushing us, but I hate getting beat when I beat myself,” said McKeever. “I had a good race today, and put in the effort that I had, I just had nothing more to give.”
The para-nordic World Cup will resume on Sunday (Dec. 14) in Norway with the relay events.
