CROSS-COUNTRY:

Harvey 5th as Northug claims gold No. 3 with 50 km victory

March 6, 2011 — Cross Country Canada  

OSLO, Norway — Canada’s Alex Harvey came agonizingly close to following his electrifying gold-medal victory in the team sprint with another podium finish in the 50-kilometre skate-ski race on Sunday at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo, Norway.

The 22-year-old Harvey, who has quickly emerged as one of the most talented skiers in the world, finished just two seconds off the podium in an epic marathon on snow, which took the top skiers in the world on a grueling journey through the nordic highways at the birthplace of the sport that have been lined with 150,000 people each day throughout the week.

Harvey, of St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que., posted a fifth-place time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 17.2 seconds (2:08:17.2). The result was a Canadian record at an individual World Championship distance race, set 22 years ago by Al Pilcher, who was seventh in 1989 in Lahti, Finland.

“This is the toughest course on the World Cup with all of the climbs here. It is almost too much climbing so I’m really happy I was able to hang in there,” said Harvey. “I was dreaming for a medal today. There was a chance for me to get one, but I couldn’t do anything more. My legs felt like concrete by the end.”

Norway’s legendary Petter Northug thrilled the boisterous hometown faithful, capturing the gold with a time of 2:08:09.0.

Russia’s Maxim Vylegzhanin locked up the silver medal with a time of 2:08:10.7. Norway’s Tord Asle Gjerdalen rounded out the men’s podium in third with a time of 2:08:15.3.

Ivan Babikov, of Canmore, Alta., was the only other Canadian to enter the final race of the Nordic World Ski Championships, finishing 17th after clocking in at 2:08:59.2.

It was a dream week for Harvey and the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team. After finishing seventh in the sprint race, and leading the pursuit competition until the final two kilometres where his hip flexors cramped up, the young Harvey made history with teammate Devon Kershaw on Wednesday when they became the first Canadian men ever to hop onto the podium at the World Championships in cross-country skiing, winning the gold in the team sprint relay.

“It was an amazing week. We wanted to get a medal and the gold was unexpected,” said Harvey, who won a silver medal in a World Cup sprint race two weeks ago, and also won the gold medal in the pursuit race at the Under-23 World Championships last month. “We will take a lot of confidence from this. We need to focus a lot on the recovery and then if all goes right next weekend, I think we can challenge for the podium again.”

The Canadian squad will now head to Lahti, Finland, for a World Cup race next weekend.

Top-5 Men and Canadian Results:

1. Petter Northug, NOR, 2:08:09.0; 2. Maxim Vylegzhanin, RUS, 2:08:10.7; 3. Tord Asle Gjerdalen, NOR, 2:08:15.3; 4. Sjur Roethe, NOR, 2:08:17.0; 5. Alex Harvey, St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que., CAN, 2:08:17.2.

Other Canadian Results:

17. Ivan Babikov, Canmore, Alta., 2:08:59.2