We caught up with new CCC Women's Committee Chair Madeleine Williams, a former national-team member and 2010 Olympian who's passionate about keeping Canadian females in elite sports and has made public recommendations on gender equality.
In his first week as president/chair of Cross Country Canada, Jamie Coatsworth -- a longtime financial supporter of Canadian nordic skiing -- talks about the position and how he ended up filling the vacancy left by Richard Lemoine. "Sort of looking up around the room, I spoke to some of the other board members," Coatsworth said. "And I said somebody’s gotta do it."
Two weeks ago, Richard Lemoine learned that he would not be reelected for a second term as president of CCC's Board of Directors, should he run again. He resigned and an acting chair and former president is filling the void until CCC's Annual General Meeting, an open board meeting, this weekend.
Tor-Arne Hetland is officially part of the Canadian crew after wrapping up his first training camp with the Canadian World Cup Team in May. Onboard since April, he says he's eager to give the perspective and stability that Cross Country Canada wants. "It is asked for new ideas into the team and I’m ready to give this," Hetland says. "And also more stability in the World Cup."
If you're familiar with Canada's junior-racing scene, you've probably heard of Coach Pav. After three years as Ontario Ski Team head coach, Pavlina Sudrich is moving back to the Yukon to work with a couple U23 athletes and continue her coaching education.
Cross-Country Ski de Fond Canada (CCC) has changed its leadership structure in an effort to ramp up for the 2018 Winter Olympics, with Justin Wadsworth overseeing all national-team programs and training centres, and Louis Bouchard and Tor-Arne Hetland as World Cup Team coaches.
Alex Harvey took 8th place in Sunday’s 15 k individual freestyle race in Lahti, Finland, proving that he’s still on form and hungry for results in the final weeks of the World Cup season. “Effort wise and everything it’s the race I’m the most proud of this year, it’s the race I get the most satisfaction out of, I was really happy with it," said Harvey.
During his recent visit to California for a training camp with his Black Jack Ski Club, former Canadian National Team Head Coach Dave Wood met up with FasterSkier's Nancy Fiddler and shared some intimate thoughts on the sport. "You can’t improve by just going to Europe to race,” Wood says. “You have to figure out a way to cut 45 seconds over 15 kilometers before going.”
Cross Country Canada and the Gatineau Loppet announce the 2014 Canadian Long Distance Loppet Championships “We are fortunate to be able to partner with the Gatineau Loppet to introduce this exciting new event to our calendar”, commented Dave Dyer, CCC events director. “We are using the skate race for the Championships this season to balance the 50 km classic distance race at the Haywood Ski Nationals in Corner Brook. We will alternate each season, using a point to...
Ski to the Podium with Canada’s Cross-Country Ski Athletes —Cross Country Canada Launches unique Project Podium fundraising initiative— ( CANMORE, Alta.—Fresh off one of the most successful seasons in the history of the program, Cross Country Canada is giving fans the opportunity to ski with its athletes to the international podium, thanks to Project Podium. Widely recognized that high-performance athletes need financial backing to succeed at the international level, Project Podium takes fundraising to a...
Less than a week after racing in Germany last December, Alysson Marshall smiled as she soaked up her surroundings at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre in Vernon, British Columbia. The Canadian senior development team member had just completed the first four World Cups of her career and left Europe on an extremely high note. With national team skier Dasha Gaiazova, she placed 21st in the team sprint in Düsseldorf, Germany. Six days later, Marshall won...
Last winter, the Canadian NorAm series embraced the mini-tour concept with open arms. With four events over the course of the season, athletes, coaches, race organizers and fans alike had the opportunity to experience the new race format, which has become a significant part of the World Cup circuit. Hosted at four separate locations – Rossland, B.C., Orford, Quebec, Nakkertok, Quebec, and Kelowna, B.C., the mini-tours were spread out—both geographically, with two in the East...
The FIS World Cup is returning to Canada in 2012. After a two year hiatus, International Ski Federation (FIS) Cross Country Skiing World Cup competitions will resume in North America, as a brand-new Quebec City site will be unveiled before the show heads west to the Rockies and Canmore, Alberta. According to Norbert Meier, Chair of the Alberta World Cup Society, there will be World Cup races held on December 8th and 9th in Canmore,...
With Cross Country Canada (CCC) announcing selections for the Canadian World Cup and Senior Development Team last week, the Canucks are loading up for another season. There were no surprises on the World Cup Team, as six of the seven have been part of the squad in the past. The one new addition, Len Valjas, is no shocker, because ‘Big Tall Lenny’, as he has been nicknamed by his teammates, tore up the World Cup...
Cross Country Canada (CCC) is expected to announce the 2011-2011 National Ski Team (NST) in the next couple of days, and some major personnel changes may be in the works. According to head coach Justin Wadsworth, there will be three divisions to the National Ski Team in the 2011-2012. If you are a Canadian athlete, you can be nominated to the World Cup team or the Senior Development Team, while the country’s top juniors skiers...
Greg Kilroy started his ski season as an average 20 year-old university skier in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He trained hard, focused on school, and rooted for Devon Kershaw and Alex Harvey on the World Cup. But by April, the hard-working athlete from a small town in Northern Ontario found himself in a much bigger role – a seat on the Cross Country Canada (CCC) Board of Directors as the new Athlete Director. Kilroy came into...
The SuperTour Final is turning into an international affair. With a group of Norwegians already confirmed, as well as Swedish and Japanese skiers, the Canadians are bringing some artillery as well. No fewer than four Canadian groups are headed to the United States for a final shot at high-level racing this season. Cross Country Canada (CCC) has a trip heading to Idaho. The Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA) is sending a variety of athletes, both...
Since the Olympics, Kikkan Randall has had anything but a relaxed spring and summer. Her activities have included the International Ski Federation (FIS) Congress in Turkey, a visit to Norway to spend time training with Marit Bjoergen, and a three week training camp in New Zealand. Randall’s latest stop has finally brought her a little closer to home. While the Ontario High Performance Camp in Barrie, Ontario, was still far from Alaska, at least she...
Four months after the conclusion of the Vancouver Paralympic Games, Canada’s Para-Nordic Ski Team has suffered cuts amounting to roughly one-third of its total budget. According to Cross-Country Canada Executive Director Davin Macintosh, the cuts represented 56 percent of the program’s funding from Own the Podium (OTP), the high-performance sports initiative that was set up to propel Canadian athletes to medals at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver. The exact impacts of the...
A quick look at the Canadian draft event calendar will unearth one major revelation – Cross Country Canada (CCC) appears to have fully embraced the concept of the mini-tour. This upcoming season, there are three mini-tours on the CCC schedule. The second Haywood NorAm, held in Rossland, B.C. on December 16, 18 and 19 will be a mini-tour. As well, Western Canadian Championships, held in Kelowna, B.C. on February 4 to 6, and Eastern Canadian...