Beaudry fourth at biathlon nationals
Sarah Beaudry of Prince George missed her medal moment Wednesday on opening day at the Canadian biathlon championships in Charlo, N.B.
Beaudry, a Caledonia Nordic Ski Club member who celebrated her 24th birthday on Monday, finished fourth in the women’s 7.5-kilometre sprint. She was 1:29.9 behind gold medalist Rossana Crawford of Canmore, Alta. Julia Ransom of Kelowna, a two-time Olympian who just announced her retirement from the sport, won the silver medal, 43.4 seconds behind Crawford, and Emma Lunder of Vernon took bronze, 57.1 behind.
Emily Dickson of Burns Lake won silver in the junior women’s 7.5km sprint, 12.5 seconds off the winning pace set by Megan Bankes of Calgary.
In other local results, Cole Bender of Burns Lake won the senior boys 6km sprint.
Meanwhile, at the cross-country ski national championships which wrapped up last weekend in Thunder Bay, Ont., Caledonia club skier Kaia Andal captured the overall aggregate title for first-year junior Kaia Andal of the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club competes in the junior women’s classic mass start race at the cross-country ski nationals in Thunder Bay, Ont. She placed fourth.
women (born in 1999). Among the highlights for Andal
in her fifth appearance at nationals was a fifth-place result in the mixed team sprint, teaming up with Jesse Smids of Smithers. That race included Jesse Cockney and Knute Johnsgaard, both members of the Canadian Olympic team.
In the junior women’s 1.5km individual sprint, Andal qualified eighth but lost a ski during her Bfinal race when she made contact with another skier in the final hill climb. She finished 12th.
In the classic technique interval start race, a combined open women/junior women event, she placed 13th overall and was the second-highest finishing first-year junior. In the pursuit, she was 15th overall and first in her age category.
Known for her freestyle racing, Andal also entered her first junior women’s classic mass start race and finished fourth, three seconds off the medal podium.
Damian Georgyev of Caledonia, a first-time national competitor, finished fifth in the junior boys
Among the highlights for Andal in her fifth appearance at nationals was a fifth-place result in the mixed team sprint, teaming up with Jesse Smids of Smithers.
(born in 2002 or 2003) aggregate standings. He placed 14th overall and fourth among boys his age in the 7.5km classic individual start race and advanced to the quarterfinal heats in the sprint. He also placed 19th overall in the pursuit, fourth-quickest among 2003-born boys.
UNBC student Thomsen D’hont also competed in Thunder Bay, representing the Northwest Territories and placed 33rd in the men’s aggregate.
He qualified 20th for the freestyle sprints and advanced to the quarterfinals to finish 48th out of 110 starters.
D’hont also placed 41st in the classic interval start event.
Coached by Geoff Recknell and Caledonia’s Graeme Moore, Team North (which also included Zoe Hollman, Mia Recknell and Rachel Cuell of Smithers), helped B.C. place second in the overall aggregate standings and first in the junior aggregate.