2019 World Junior/U23
Lahti, Finland
January 20 – 25, 2019
January 24, 2019: Junior Distance Races
Results: https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=CC&eventid=43363&seasoncode=2019
January 24th was the final day of individual racing for the juniors on the team and featured two classic mass starts: 15 kilometres for the women and 30 kilometres for the men. We awoke to temperatures near -20°C, which did rise slightly, but it was still a day for buffs, hats, and long underwear. The relatively long distances meant the day would be long, and the fact that the races would be mass starts meant there would be carnage.
The first to go were the women and, after over 40 minutes of hard racing, the first Canadian to cross the line was BC skier Jasmine Drolet (Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Rossland) in 36th position. Next was Anne-Marie Peticlerc in 40th, Anna Pryce in 46th, and Isobel Hendry in 59th. The four of them had mixed feelings about their performance, but they fought well against the best juniors in the world and were impressive to watch.
The men's race, which I can comment on a bit more, was a complete zoo for much of the duration. Over more than an hour and fifteen minutes, there were numerous broken poles and more than one crashes. One the Canadian team alone, Sam Hendry was involved in a crash, and I (Rémi Drolet) was run over by a good portion of the field during an incident in which I lost both of my skis. To all those who think nordic skis do not "eject" during wipe-outs: apparently, that is not always the case. In my mind, the most important thing to remember during the even was to remain calm and save energy no matter what happened. At the finish line, the results were as follows: Rémi Drolet (Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Rossland) in 7th, Sam Hendry in 20th, Tom Stephen in 23rd, and Pierrick Sarthou in 46th. Again, not all could be happy with their race, but it was one of the best overall performances by a Canadian contingent in a long time.
Overall, the mass starts made for an incredibly fun day of racing. The conditions were incredible for classic skiing, and I believe Canada's skis were some of the best, if not the best, in the entire field. Thank you to our amazing wax technicians! Thanks also to all those encouraging us from home!
Cheers, Rémi Drolet
January 23rd - U23 Skate Race
When we woke up this morning it was snowing furiously. Fortunately, the snowfall brought warmer temperatures for racing. Unfortunately, that meant a slow drive to the race trails which led to a shortened warm-up. Good thing we practised warming up on a time crunch for the time trial in Lillihammer! The women went out of the gate 5th, 8th, 9th and 10th so we were all very close to each other. Gareth provided skiplus with a reflection of his race.
"Although it wasn’t a bad performance, I know I can do better. "I found it hard to get into a rhythm right from the start of the race, the hills are really steep here in Lahti and it makes for a choppy and challenging course."
It is indeed a course with many transitions. Carrying your speed into the hills and accelerating over the tops is especially important here in Lahti. We are looking forward to cheering on the juniors as they ski their classic distance race tomorrow (30km for men and 15km for women). We are also excited to challenge the Norwegians in a bowling tournament tomorrow night!
Hannah Mehain
Additional Reports & Photos:
1. BC Athletes & 2019 World Junior/U23 Championships Trip (Jan 21) – reports and photos
2. More Exciting News from Finland at the World U23 Championships
3. Rémi Drolet 7th at World Junior Championships today in Finland!
4. BC Athletes & 2019 World Junior/U23 Championships Trip (Jan 16) – reports and photos
5. BC Athletes & 2019 World Junior/U23 Championships Trip (Jan 14) – reports and photos
BC Athletes:
Gareth Williams (Telemark Nordic Club, Kelowna)
Hannah Mehain (Telemark Nordic Club, Vernon)
Jasmine Drolet (Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Rossland)
Molly Miller (Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Kimberley)
Rémi Drolet (Black Jack Cross Country Ski Club, Rossland)
CCC’s coaching support team includes the following BC coach:
Matt Smider – Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club
See article and complete list of nominations at: http://www.cccski.com/Media/Press-Releases/Cross-Country-Ski-de-Fond-Canada-Names-18-Athletes.aspx#.XBlBRlxKjIU