To paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is not the start the Canadian cross-country ski team was looking for.
Ivan Babikov finished 21st in a classic 10-kilometre race in Kuusamo, Finland while the rest of the team finished well back to kick off the world cup season. Alex Harvey was the only other Canadian to finish in the points over the weekend, creeping into 30th spot on Saturday (Nov. 30).
According to head coach Justin Wadsworth, the team spent the week before training in Davos, and Dasha Gaiazova flew from Canada two days before the race, so travel could have been a factor in the disappointing results.
“We were expecting a little more, but didn’t have big expectations this weekend with the travel and jet lag. A little rest now and I’m confident we will be able to bounce back quickly,” said Wadsworth.
The sprint races were a writeoff for the Canadians, as none of them were able to qualify for the heats. Harvey was 37th and Len Valjas was 38th to lead the Canadians. Kershaw was 76th, Jesse Cockney was 77th and Babikov was 102nd.
Gaiazova was the lone Canadian female competitor over the weekend. She was 43rd in the sprints, but optimistic better results are still to come.
“It’s a long race season ahead and this is my very first race. I got to Finland two days ago and obviously jet lag was a factor in my result. My skis were excellent, but I was struggling to find my top gear. At the end, the qualifying times were really tight – a lot tighter than usual, which means every split of a second was important,” Gaiazova said.
While most of the Canadian ski team is pre-qualified for the Olympics, other nations use the first world cup races to determine Olympic eligibility, so most other nations were at the peak of their game.
Kershaw said the entire team was disappointed with the results, but said the results will be forgotten if the team performs in Sochi.
“It was a really tough day out there for our whole team in not having anyone advance to the heats. I guess for the first race of the season we were looking for more (obviously). We are all trying to take the positives out of it and as this is an Olympic year we are really trying with that in mind – build from these tough times, learn from them and come out in February firing on all cylinders,” Kershaw said.
Kershaw has trained in Europe since October to be with his girlfriend, Norweigan skier Kristen Stormer Steira, but is still trying to get the snap back in his skiing. He’s a traditional slow starter and often his own worst critic. He said the race was the worst of his world cup career. In 2012, he started the season with a 56th-place result and last year was 62nd in his first race. He wanted to buck that trend this year.
“I must say that my race was a serious disappointment. I am pretty sure this is my worst world cup – lifetime. I just didn’t have any snap in my body – no quickness – which you really need in the shortest sprint on the men’s calendar,” Kershaw said. “It’s not a good trend. The difference between 56th and 76ths is nothing really and the goal is top 10, not in the 50s, 60s or 70s. It’s a long season and I’m trying to focus on that.”
On Sunday, Babikov was the top Canadian again, finishing 37th in the 15 km skate race. Alex Harvey was 43rd, Devon Kershaw was 66th and Jesse Cockney finished 87th.
The team now travels to Lillehammer, Norway for its next race, which begins on Dec. 7 with a 15-km classic race for the men and a 10-km classic race for the women.
Cross Country Canada is also extending their “Roll with us” promotion in the Bow Valley. Those who donate $20.14 to Cross Country Canada will have their name on Canada’s Tour de Ski bus. Money raised will go to the national team as well as ski clubs around the nation, including local clubs such as Canmore Nordic, Rocky Mountain Racers and Banff Ski Runners.
