Consistent Canuck, Graham Ritchie is Lone Canadian Qualifier for World Cup Heats in Falun
FALUN, Swe.— Graham Ritchie was the lone Canadian to qualify for the head-to-head heats in the World Cup Finals sprint race in Falun, Sweden on Friday.
The Parry Sound, Ont. resident continued his steady run of earning a spot in the round of 30 but was not able to advance past the quarter-final round after crossing the line fourth in his heat. Ritchie grabbed the final spot in the top-20 on the day.
Graham Ritchie Quotes
“My quarter final was decent. I didn’t make any bad mistakes this time, so that was a positive. I just didn’t quite have enough in me to keep up with the top guys today.”
“It feels really good to be mixing it up in the heats consistently right now. I’m learning lots and that is great. I think it is only a matter of time before I can break into the semis and give that a go.”
“I am happy for sure with these results – 24th, 21st, and now 20th today means I’m for sure heading in the right direction. I’m looking forward to next season already to try and improve on these results.”
Other Canadian results include:
Men
31. Antoine Cyr (Gatineau, Que.)
44. Xavier McKeever (Canmore, Alta.)
57. Remi Drolet (Rossland, B.C.)
Women
31. Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (Morin Heights, Que.)
37. Katherine Stewart-Jones (Chelsea, Que.)
38. Dahria Beatty (Whitehorse)
Richard Jouve, of France, won the men’s sprint race. Sweden’s Jonna Sundling won the women’s event.