Canada’s top skiers are now in Canmore, Alta., To compete in the national trials for the Beijing Olympics. Although their selection is not yet official, skiers Cendrine Browne and Laura Leclair each achieved an Olympic criterion on the first day, Thursday. They are therefore in a good position to be part of the delegation that will fly to China in February.
The delegation will only be able to send four skiers and three skiers to Beijing and there are only three places left on the women’s side to fill. Nordiq Canada will announce the identity of its team on January 11, but in the meantime, skiers must fight to try to get their ticket to Asia. Among them are Quebecers Cendrine Browne and Laura Leclair, who were the two cross-country skiers to achieve at least one Olympic criterion.
Cendrine Browne finished first in the sprint qualifier with more than six seconds ahead of her closest pursuer. A great performance from the Laurentian skier who left everything on the track to improve her chances of participating in her second Games.
“Looks like I don’t realize it yet, since I won qualifying, so it’s a little weird as a situation,” she said on the phone a few minutes after the race.
Indeed, Nordiq Canada’s criteria are very precise during the tests and they are placed in priority order. This means that the first criterion to be chosen within the Olympic team is to triumph in the 10 km classic. The second skier to be selected is the one to win the sprint qualifier, which Browne achieved. The third is the one who will win the 15 km freestyle. Then the fourth is the one who finished in first position in the sprint final, Laura Leclair.
This is why by winning the sprint qualification, a huge weight was lifted on Browne’s shoulders: “I am really relieved to have done the Olympic criteria in my first race, like in 2018. I am especially happy to felt amazingly good, so that bodes well for the rest of the season. I arrived physically and mentally ready so I was really confident. ”
What made the 28-year-old athlete all the more proud was that she could meet the criteria for sprinting, despite being a distance specialist. She is therefore impatient to compete in the 15 km race on Sunday, because she could really consolidate her chances. It is a course with a lot of climbs and which will certainly benefit him. She also hopes to be able to count on such good skis as they are today, which have really enabled her to deliver the goods, especially in the last part of the race which is downhill.
Laura Leclair wins in the final
Laura Leclair won the final of the sprint event, which corresponds to the fourth selection criterion. Even if her place is not yet assured within the Canadian delegation, the cross-country skier from Chelsea, in the Outaouais, is in an excellent position.
“I’m really happy, it’s the first race with all the Canadians together, so before that it was difficult to compare. I was in great shape, the skis were going super fast so it was a really good day for me. ”
PHOTO MARTIN ROY, ARCHIVES LE LAW
Laura Leclair
Although she admits that her performance in qualifying earlier today left her a little bit hungry, she is happy to have recovered well in the final round. Especially since this sprint was quite strategic, since all the climbs are at the beginning of the course and that it ends with a big descent. The 24-year-old skier is proud of the way she negotiated the route, but above all of having come closer to her Olympic dream.
“I’m in a good position for the Games and that’s what I wanted to do. It was the first race and there are more to come. I’m still just as motivated as ever, ”she explained.
Antoine Cyr continues his preparation
Antoine Cyr proved once again why he was the best Canadian cross-country skier on the first day of practice. The Gatineau resident won the sprint event with panache. However, Cyr’s place on the Olympic team was already secured by virtue of his excellent start to the season on the World Cup circuit.
“I’m really happy, it’s been almost two years since we’ve raced in Canada, so it’s really good to come back here with my teammates. I was really surprised at the level of the sprinters today. It was very tough and the course was extremely demanding. It was a good day for me and I was able to have a good end of the race to go for the victory, ”said the 23-year-old athlete just after his last race.
The action will resume on Saturday in Canmore, as Friday will be devoted to training before the distance events.