Cross-country skiing catch-up
It’s been a busy 2022 for Yukon skiers, with a number of skiers earning additional opportunities after the Olympic and U23/Junior World Championship Trials held early this year in Canmore, Alta. In addition to Dahria Beatty competing at the Olympics, the Yukon had skiers on the US SuperTour and at the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships.
Schmidt races SuperTour
Whitehorse’s Sonjaa Schmidt parlayed her performance at the Junior World Championship Trials into a spot on the US SuperTour, competing at Mount Van Hoevenberg and at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center located in New York and Vermont respectively.
Racing at Mount Van Hoevenberg from Jan. 29 to 30, Schmidt qualified fifth in the classic sprint and skied to 14th in the finals. In the 10-kilometre free mass-start race, Schmidt finished 24th.
The next week, Schmidt finished 32nd in free sprint qualifying and 13th in the 10-km classic race at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center.
Masson, Deuling race at junior world championships
Sasha Masson and Derek Deuling both traveled to Lygna, Norway, for the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships from Feb. 22 to 27, 2022.
In the 30-km free mass-start race on Feb. 22, Deuling finished 17th and Masson finished next in 18th.
On Feb. 23, Masson competed in the relay with Felix-Olivier Moreau, Xavier McKeever and Thomas Stephen with the Canadian squad finishing fourth.
Deuling wrapped up his trip when he raced in the 10-km classic on Feb. 25, finishing 19th.
Masson’s final race of the competition was the skate sprint on Feb. 27, where he finished 35th in qualifying.
Beatty returns to World Cup circuit
Immediately following the Olympics, Beatty returned to Europe to compete at a handful of World Cup races.
Action started in Lahti, Finland, where Beatty finished 34th in free sprint qualifying and 33rd in the 10-km classic race on Feb. 26 and 27.
Beatty raced next in Drammen, Norway, where she finished 41st in classic sprint qualifying on March 3.
From there it was on to Falun, Sweden, where Beatty finished classic sprint qualifying in 38th on March 11. The next day, Beatty skied to 43rd in the 10-km free race. Beatty teamed with Graham Ritchie to finish seventh in the mixed team sprint.
All eyes on nationals
The final major event of the season is the upcoming 2022 Canadian Ski Championships later this month, March 20 to 27, 2022, in Whistler, B.C. The event will also serve as the finals of the US SuperTour. For skiers like Deuling, Masson and Schmidt, the nationals are also a chance to sample the courses for next year’s FIS Nordic U23 & Junior World Ski Championships, which are also being held in Whistler.
