Thursday, December 20, 2001
Canuck skiers finding stride
By CAMERON MAXWELL -- Calgary Sun
There may be no better time for Canadian cross-country skier Beckie Scott to start peaking.
As the Salt Lake City Winter Games rapidly approach, Scott, who hails from Vermillion, yesterday skied her way to a bronze medal at a 1.5-km classic World Cup race in Asiago, Italy.
And while it was a great day for Scott, it was an awesome day for the Canadians, as she was joined by Milaine Theriault of St. Quentin, N.B., who finished eighth, and Sara Renner of Canmore, ninth, marking the first time three Canucks have finished in the top 10.
"This is a big race for me and the season has gone really well so far, so this is a huge confidence booster before Salt Lake City," said Scott, 27, who finished 15th overall in World Cup standings last year and was fifth in a race one week ago.
"I'm really happy with the way things are going."
Norway's Bente Skari won the event, her fourth World Cup victory of the season, as Norwegian skiers dominated. Compatriot Tor Arne Svartedal won the men's 1.5-km classic sprint.
Petra Majdic of Slovenia finished second in the women's race.
Svartedal beat teammate Trond Iverson by 2.8 seconds to clinch his first World Cup victory. Germany's Andreas Schuttler was third, followed by Bjorn Lund of Sweden.
It was Scott's second podium finish after notching another bronze last season at Soldier Hollow, Utah.
Part of the reason for the Canadians' success could be attributable to them using altitude tents to get ready for the Olympics. This was the first race since starting the training.
"It's helped -- this (race) was a bit of a test after the tents, so the results are definitely a good sign," said Scott, who has one more World Cup race on Saturday in Austria, before returning for training in Canmore and the U.S. prior to the Feb. 9-24 Games. Scott is only the second Canadian woman to ever win an individual World Cup medal in cross-country skiing.
Per Elofsson of Sweden still leads in the overall World Cup standings, despite finishing outside the top 10.
He has 349 points after seven races, 102 points ahead of Anders Aukland of Norway.
Skari moved atop the overall women's standings with 426 points. The Czech Republic's Katerina Neumannova is second with 336 points.
2002 Games Cross Country Skiing Coverage
