Ski Tour Canada is just a month away and the battle for spots on the Canadian team reached a fever pitch this weekend at the Eastern Canadian Championships, Feb. 5-7 in Gatineau, Que.
Cross Country Canada will use a complicated formula using domestic points, FIS points and subjective criteria to select this year’s Ski Tour Canada team, consisting of 14 men and 12 women.
Thus far, athletes who have recorded a top-30 result on the world cup are guaranteed a spot (Alex Harvey, Devon Kershaw, Ivan Babikov, Lenny Valjas and Graeme Killick) on the tour, and the top domestic male and female skier are also expected to earn a spot.
Kevin Sandau has sewn up the men’s domestic title, while Andrea Dupont, Dahria Beatty and Cendrine Browne will battle for the women’s crown.
Thunder Bay sprinter Julien Locke made an argument for his inclusion on the team with a win in the sprint on Friday (Feb. 5). Locke defeated Sebastien Boehmler Dandurand and Canmore’s Jess Cockney in the A final.
Saturday turned into a showdown with several veteran skiers, as Michael Somppi emerged victorious in the 15-kilometre mass start skate, defeating Sandau by 25 seconds. Canmore Nordic’s Russell Kennedy finished third, 31 seconds behind Somppi.
In the 20-km classic races, Andy Shields of Thunder Bay had the fastest time of the day. He finished the 20-km race 12 seconds ahead of Cockney, while Knute Johnsgaard finished third.
The women’s field is extremely wide open, however, several skiers also took the weekend as a chance to earn valuable Canadian points. Canmore’s Maya MacIsaac-Jones started her weekend on the right track with a sprint win over Jennifer Jackson and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt.
Beatty won the women’s 15-km classic mass start over Cendrine Browne of Quebec in a very tight race. Katherine Stewart-Jones finished third.
Browne got her revenge in the 10-km skate race, however, as she took the win over Beatty. Bouffard-Nesbitt finished third.
The pressure ramps up again this weekend, as skiers shift to Prince George, B.C. for Western Canadian Nationals – their last chance to impress Cross Country Canada brass.
Not to be outdone, the Canmore club dominated the junior boys division, as twins Ty and Reed Godfrey, Sam Hendry and Thomas Manktelow all emerged with medals. The division was so big, the race had to be divided in two extra age groups. Even still, the Canmore boys won two medals, with Manktelow taking the win on Friday, and Ty Godfrey finishing third in the three-km prologue for the 1998-birthday group.
In the individual start, Ty Godfey and Reed Godfrey finished 1-2 in the 7.5-km skate race. The twins repeated the feat on Sunday, in the 15-km classic mass start.
Hendry dominated the 1999-birthday group, finishing first or second in every one of his races.
Head coach Alain Parent praised the junior boys for their hard work, and said he hopes the team keeps rolling at Westerns.
