CROSS-COUNTRY:

Kershaw 9th, Harvey drops to 12th in men’s pursuit at worlds

Feb. 27, 2011 — Cross Country Canada  

OSLO, Norway — The Canadian men’s cross-country ski team edged closer to the history books in a bid to earn the team’s first men’s medal at a World Championships as three athletes powered their way into the top 15 in the 30-kilometre pursuit race with the best on the globe Sunday in Oslo, Norway.
 
With Alex Harvey, of St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que., Devon Kershaw, of Sudbury, Ont., and Ivan Babikov, of Canmore, Alta., posing a triple Canadian threat at the front of the pack for the first 10 kilometres of the pursuit race, the lead group began to stretch with athletes taking their turns trying to break the field. The 22-year-old Harvey took his turn to break the pack around the 18-kilometre mark and opened a sizeable lead on the field until the final three kilometres, where his hip flexors began cramping up, dropping him into 12th place with a time of 1 hour, 14 minutes, 20.7 seconds (1:14:20.7).
 
“I’m really disappointed and not satisfied with this result at all,” said Harvey, who won a silver medal last week in the final World Cup race before the World Championships. “I was skiing smooth and at the front all day.  I felt so good. I took that last lap with the group and my hip flexors cramped. I have never had that happen to me before and there was nothing I could do.”
 
The pursuit race combines 15 kilometres of classic skiing on five-kilometre loop which is loaded with steep climbs, followed by four trips around a 3.75-kilometre loop on skate-skis. Athletes enter a transition zone to change equipment between the two legs while the clock continues to run.
 
With Harvey’s quest for the podium cramped, it was four-time Tour de Ski medallist Devon Kershaw who found his legs to fire his way into the top 10 and finish as the top Canadian in ninth spot with a time of 1:14:16.9. Babikov finished 15th at 1:14:22.2.
 
“It was a solid day for the guys with three of them skiing really well in the top 15,” said head coach Justin Wadsworth. “Alex was ready to win this thing until his legs cramped. Devon made a really good move with one kilometre to go and it was nice to see him have his legs back today.”
 
Norway’s Petter Northug thrilled the thousands of Norwegian fans lining the race course by winning the gold medal with a time of 1:14:10.4. Russia’s Maxim Vylegzhanin finished second at 1:14:11.1, while IIia Chernousov, also of Russia, finished third at 1:14:11.6.
 
George Grey of Rossland, B.C., was the only other Canadian in the field and finished 46th at 1:18:35.1.
 
The Nordic World Ski Championships continue Monday in Oslo with the women’s 10-kilometre classic-ski race.

Top-5 Men’s Results:
1. Petter Northug, NOR, 1:14:10.4; 2. Maxim Vylegzhanin, RUS, 1:14:11.1; 3. IIia Chernousov, RUS, 1:14:11.6; 4. Sergei Dolidovich, BLR, 1:14:13.0; 5. Martin Johnsrud Sudby, NOR, 1:14:13.5.
Canadian Results:
9. Devon Kershaw, Sudbury, Ont., 1:14:16.9; 12. Alex Harvey, of St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que., 1:14:20.7; 15. Ivan Babikov, Canmore, Alta., 1:14:22.2; 46. George Grey, Rossland, B.C., 1:18:35.1.