Antoine Cyr and Katherine Stewart-Jones Stride to Gold at Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships
WHISTLER, B.C.—Antoine Cyr captured his first national title of the of week while Katherine Stewart-Jones skied to her second-straight gold on Monday at the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships in Whistler, B.C.
Cyr was the top Canadian after skiing to second place overall in the open men’s category of the 15-kilometre individual start classic-ski race. The Gatineau, Que. skier completed three spins around the five-kilometre loop in a time of 40:30.6.
“Classic is always good for me. It is the race I love,” said Cyr. “It was tough conditions and good skiers normally come out on top in the hard conditions.
“I was able to ski well. I came second overall which is a little bittersweet, but it was a battle to the end.”
The Canadian Championships are being held in conjunction with the US Super Tour Finals.
“This is so good for the young kids. To have a big event like this for the younger kids in Canada is amazing. It’s great to race with the kids, to see who is coming up, and also to have the US here as well.”
Adam Martin, of the United States, posted the top time of the day at 40:29.3.
Cyr was joined on the Canadian men’s podium by Russell Kennedy who was in the silver-medal position for the second-straight day. The Canmore, Alta. Olympian, who was third in the overall, clocked a time of 40:42.4. Sam Hendry, of Canmore, Alta., was the third best Canadian at 41:17.3.
Xavier McKeever, of Canmore, Alta. is putting the finishing touches on a stellar season with a victory in the men’s U20 race. The 18-year-old battled through the soft conditions at Whistler Olympic Park in a time of 42:13.5.
“It was tricky conditions so getting the skis right was the biggest thing. I was confident with my skis today, so I was just trying to ski my race and find a good pace,” said McKeever, who was second in Sunday’s opener. “I really focused on skiing technically well and push it as hard as possible. I wanted to keep a good pace throughout the race.”
British Columbia’s Garrett Siever was the top Canadian in the U18 boys division, finishing third overall with a time of 31:36.8. Eamon Wilson, also of British Columbia, claimed the U16 boys 10-kilometre classic-ski title at 32:23.5.
Katherine Stewart-Jones stepped onto the top step of the Canadian Championship podium for the second-straight day. The 26-year-old was the top Canuck after scrapping her way to sixth place overall in the women’s 10-kilometre classic-ski race. Stewart-Jones, of Chelsea, Que., stopped the clock at 31:11.8.
“I went out really hard knowing that’s what I had to do to make the podium. I had a really good first lap and then slowed down on the first half of the second lap. I was just tired and having a hard time staying in the zone and keeping the rhythm, but I was able to pull it together for the second half of the second lap, so I was happy with that. I didn’t quite have it in me today and sometimes that happens.”
The Canadian women matched the opening day podium. Dahria Beatty (Whitehorse) was the second-best Canadian after skiing to seventh overall and a time of 31:49.3. Cendrine Browne (Prévost, Que.) clocked-in at 32:08.8 for the bronze medal in the Canadian Championships.
Julia Kern, of the United States, was the only woman to post a sub-30-minute time, finishing at 29:54.3.
Jasmine Drolet (Rossland, B.C.) grabbed top Canadian honours in the women’s U20 10-kilometre classic-ski race. Drolet was third overall after crossing the finish line with a time of 32:31.2.
Sara Cullinan, of Thunder Bay, Ont., was the top Canadian in the U18 girls division. Cullinan finished second overall with a time of 17:56.5. Meya Musseau, of Revelstoke, B.C., was tops in the U16 girls division at 18:21.1.
Christina Picton (Fonthill, Ont.) and Collin Cameron (Bracebridge, Ont.) won the women’s and men’s 10-kilometre sit-ski races. British Columbia’s Logan Cox and Nova Scotia’s Emma Archibald remained unbeaten in the standing classifications.
The first National Championships to be staged since 2019, skiers from across Canada and the United States are taking part in the event which combines the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships and US Super Tour Finals, from March 20-27, at Whistler Olympic Park. A full schedule is available at https://skinationals2022.ca/#
Nordiq Canada is the governing body of para-nordic and cross-country skiing in Canada, which is the nation’s optimal sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually. Its 60,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all ages and abilities. With the support of its valued corporate partners – Haywood Securities Inc., AltaGas, Swix and Lanctôt Sports– along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Own the Podium and B2Ten, Nordiq Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and world champions. For more information on Nordiq Canada, please visit us at https://nordiqcanada.ca.