Harvey skis to historic bronze for Canada

VAL DI FIEMME, ITALY — Alex Harvey did not have a good start Thursday — but he had a historic finish.

The 24-year-old from St-Ferréol-les-Neiges became the first Canadian man to win an individual cross-country skiing medal, racing to a bronze in the classic ski sprint event.

Harvey was the lone Canadian to qualify for the top30 head-to-head heats. He only secured his spot in the final after finishing third in a quick second round on the 1.5-kilometre sprint course, grabbing one of two lucky loser berths.

“It started a bit on the rough side,” Harvey said of his day.

“I was a little bit too slow in the first half of my qualifier and then I was able to make it in the top 30, and I felt I had a lot of energy left.

“And then in the (final) round, it was just getting better and better and better. In the final, I was really (fast) with energy.”

Russia’s Nikita Kriukov won the race. Norway’s Petter Northug skied to silver, finishing three-hundredths of a second back. Harvey, who had competed in only two races in the past month, was .08 seconds off the pace.

Harvey’s bronze is the third Canadian medal ever won at a world championship. He and Devon Kershaw won gold in the team sprint in 2011, while Sara Renner captured bronze in the classic sprint in 2005.

Harvey attributed his slow start to a lack of recent competition and a lack of familiarity with the pace necessary to excel. Canada’s wax technicians were also challenged after snow started to fall following the opening round.

“There was a lot of action in the wax room and communication on the course today for sure,” said Canadian head coach Justin Wadsworth. “These guys we have are the best in the business and should take a lot of pride in that medal today.”

Harvey said his choice of wax helped him get a good push toward the finish line. The last part of the course included a bump that could have slowed him down.

“I was really negotiating that last corner, that little bump well,” he said. “So I was able to launch myself in the finishing stretch with a lot of momentum. And after that, it was just a matter of keeping my momentum and just keeping the speed.”

Wadsworth said Harvey showed considerable maturity as he overcame a disappointing showing in Quebec earlier in the season.

Harvey said his bronze bodes well for him as he prepares for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

“It’s just good to get the timing right with the training and everything else to work at the right moment,” he said.