Cross Country Canada – SEEFELD, Aut.—Alex Harvey never lost a step in his return to World Cup cross-country ski action, finishing eighth in a skate-ski sprint race on Saturday in Seefeld, Austria, while Dahria Beatty put down her best result of the season!

Taking two weeks off after finishing third in the overall standings of the Tour de Ski, the 29-year-old Harvey continued his final preparations for the Olympic Winter Games with a strong effort where he was the lone Canadian male to advance into the heats with the fastest 30 athletes in the qualification round.

Harvey punched his ticket into the heats after clocking the 22nd fastest qualifier.

Hanging at the back of the pack for most of his quarter-final heat, Harvey rocketed into the next round after putting the hammer down to win his opening round.

Harvey skied in the middle of the pack during his semifinal heat in hopes of earning a spot in the final. His day came to an end though after finishing in fourth spot with only the top-two finishers along with the next two fastest times overall moving on.

Norway’s Johannes Klaebo finished on top of the podium. Lucas Chanavat, of France, was second, while Sweden’s Calle Halfvarsson skied to the bronze medal.

Toronto’s Len Valjas also made his return to the World Cup after an injury kept him on the sidelines for the last month. The Olympian finished 40th. Julien Locke, of Nelson, B.C., placed 43rd; while Knute Johnsgaard, of Whitehorse, qualified 51st; Bob Thompson, of Thunder Bay, Ont., was 58th; Graeme Killick, of Fort McMurray, Alta., was 61st; and Devon Kershaw, of Sudbury, Ont., finished 70th.

For just the fourth time in her World Cup career, Dahria Beatty was the lone Canuck to qualify for the women’s heats.

The 23-year-old from Whitehorse, who squeaked into the heats after clocking the 30th fastest qualifying time, posted the second-best finish of her career in 20th place. 

“It was great to feel like my body has started to come around again,” said Beatty. “I was able to push hard in the qualifier, and find enough to get through to the heats, which was a relief after a tougher start to the season.”

Beatty’s day came to an end after finishing fourth in her quick heat in the round of 30.

“I felt better in my heat than I did in my qualifier. I made a couple of tactical errors. which cost me a bit. I got a bit boxed in on the first downhill and lost some critical speed there,” said Beatty.

“Overall I am really happy with how today went. It is my second-best World Cup result ever and best one I have ever had in Europe. To have a strong race in the final sprint before the Olympics is great for the energy going into the Games and was great to be able to race the heats on next year’s World Championships course.” 

Sophie Caldwell, of the United States, won the women’s race. Laurien Van Der Graaff finished second while Norway’s Maiken Falla rounded out the podium in third.

Emily Nishikawa, of Whitehorse, was 51st. Cendrine Browne, of St-Jérôme, Que., placed 54th.

CCC is the governing body of cross-country skiing in Canada, which is the nation’s optimal winter 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, including those on Canada’s National Ski Teams and Para-Nordic Ski Teams. With the support of its valued corporate partners – Haywood Securities Inc., AltaGas, Mackenzie Investments, Swix and Lanctôt Sports– along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Own the Podium and B2Ten, CCC develops Olympic, Paralympic and world champions. For more information on CCC, please visit us at www.cccski.com.

Complete Men’s Results: http://bit.ly/2FjXVb6

Complete Women’s Results: http://bit.ly/2rImJYJ

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Chris Dornan

Media and Public Relations

Cross Country Canada

T: 403-620-8731