Kershaw benefits from rest
Podium finish after Canary Islands stay
A rest- and- relaxation respite in the Canary Islands paid off for Devon Kershaw on Sunday as the cross- country skier from Sudbury, Ont., earned his first World Cup podium of the season finishing third in a 15- kilometre classic on a punishing course in Otepaa, Estonia.
Kershaw’s time of 40 minutes, 37.6 seconds was just 1.2 seconds back of secondplace Lukas Bauer of the Czech Republic. Dario Cologna of Switzerland, who won the gruelling, nine- stage Tour de Ski earlier this month when Kershaw was a career- best fourth, was Sunday’s winner in 40: 12.4.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming off the Tour,” said Kershaw, who went to the Canary Islands for a week immediately after the Tour ended two weeks ago. “Today, I was able to mentally switch off the brain and focus on skiing, which felt amazing. The climbs out here are relentless and punishing. The Estonians know how to set up a course to ensure the strongest man wins.”
Alex Harvey of St- Ferreol- lesNeiges, Que., who was fourth in Saturday’s sprint race, finished 19th Sunday in 41: 36.6. TOP FIVE AGAIN: Alex Gough of Calgary was fifth Sunday at a luge World Cup in Winterberg, Germany, her seventh top- five in as many races this season.
German women, led by Corinna Martini, swept the podium for the second consecutive week.
NESBITT PERFECT: Christine Nesbitt remained undefeated at 1,000 metres this season, winning her fourth World Cup speed skating race of the campaign at that distance Saturday in Salt Lake City.
But she was disappointed not to have broken Canadian teammate Cindy Klassen’s six- yearold track record.
Nesbitt, a London, Ont. native won the race in one minute, 13.36 seconds, just off Klassen’s mark of 1: 13.11.
“I really wanted to skate a world record. Maybe I was thinking about it too much,” said Nesbitt. “I was trying not to. I didn’t have a great start. It was a bit slow and I wasn’t expecting that.”
Denny Morrison, a Fort St. John native, earned his third podium of the season, finishing second in the men’s 1,000 behind American Shani Davis.
Morrison was fourth in another 1,000 on Sunday. HAHNENKAMM SHORTY: The legendary Hahnenkamm downhill at Kitzbuehel, Austria, was anything but a classic on Saturday as heavy snow and fog on the notoriously difficult Streif course forced organizers to move the start way down.
Swiss star Didier Cuche, who announced earlier in the week he would retire at the end of this World Cup season, won the race in 1: 13.28, but soft snow and poor visibility made it tough, particularly on early starters. Jan Hudec of Calgary was 10th, Erik Guay of Mont Tremblant, Que., 11th and Robbie Dixon of North Vancouver 38th.
On Sunday, Brad Spence of Calgary was a Canadian- best 14th at Kitzbuehel in a World Cup slalom won by Cristian Deville of Italy. Canada’s top slalom skier, Mike Janyk of Whistler, was a disappointing 18th, following a 19th last week in Wengen, Switzerland.
“I’m obviously extremely unhappy with my results lately,” said Janyk.