| Madeline Williams Skis to Gold at Super Tour Cross-Country Ski Races in Montana |
|
Canadians finish mid-field at World Cup in Finland. WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA (November 28, 2009) Canada's Madeleine Williams has her eye on a much bigger prize this year in qualifying for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in December, but she is content by starting the journey off with a golden performance on Saturday at a US Super Tour event in West Yellowstone, Montana. The Edmonton native, who has been a force to reckon with on the Haywood NorAm circuit over the last two years, stomped the field through the rolling women's five-kilometre classic ski, stopping the clock at 16 minutes, 16.9 seconds. "It was a good, tough race today. It is pretty high here and I just tried to stay relaxed and was able to do that," said the 25-year-old Williams. "This time of year is really about seeing where my fitness is at. I feel like it is where I need it to be and I have focus now on skiing fast." Williams and the rest of the Canadian athletes will now head back to Canada where they will prepare for the Canadian Olympic Trials December 17-20. "That really is my goal this year to make that team, and I am obviously looking forward to those races," said Williams. "I will really target the distance races, and will now go and race an Alberta Cup and keep training so that I'm ready." Williams was not the only Canadian on the women's podium. Dasha Gaiazova, of Banff, Alberta completed her medal hat trick after finishing third to complete her medal collection of all colours this week. The 25-year-old Gaiazova, who also started the weekend off with a gold medal in the classic sprint qualifier, clocked a time of 16:25.9. Holly Brooks, of the United States, was second at 16:22.6 On the men's side of the draw it was Sean Crooks, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, who stood as the lone Canadian on the podium. Crooks won the dash for third in the men's 15-kilometre classic-ski race with a time of 29:55.1. Garrott Kuzzy, of the United States, captured his second gold medal of the week with a winning time of 29:25.8, while Chris Cook, of the United States, was second at 29:28.3. Meanwhile, Canada's elite cross-country skiers struggled across the pond in Kuusamo, Finland, on Saturday. While no athletes qualified in the top-30 for the head-to-head heats of the classic-ski sprint, Sara Renner, of Canmore, Alta., finished as the top Canadian in 42nd spot. Chandra Crawford, of Canmore, Alberta, continued her comeback to the World Cup circuit with a 49th place finish, while Perianne Jones, of Almonte, Ontario, was 51st. The Canadian men also struggled to find their top gear after a difficult week of preparation which saw the squad deal with significant flight delays for athletes heading to Finland, and their head coach, Inge Braten, breaking his hip on Thursday. Alex Harvey, of St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Quebec, was 55th; Devon Kershaw, of Sudbury, Ontario, was 60th; while Graham Nishikawa, of Whitehorse, was 76th; and Ivan Babikov, of Canmore, Alberta, was 82nd. "It was a tough week for us which may have affected our preparation," said Dave Wood, team leader, Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team, who was delayed more than 24 hours en route to Finland with Renner and George Grey. "We are going to regroup and hopefully see some better results tomorrow." Poland's Justyna Kowalczyk won the women's race, whiel Norway's Ola Vigen Hattestad finished on top of the men's podium. The World Cup continues on Sunday in Finland with the 10- and 15-kilometre classic ski races. Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross-country skiing in Canada. Its 51,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all ages and abilities, including those on Canada's National Ski Teams and Para-Nordic Ski Teams. Cross-country skiing is Canada's optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually. |
