February 28, 2007 (Sapporo, Japan) – On any given day, being the top Canadian finisher in a World Championship race would be a proud accomplishment for any athlete. For blind skier Brian McKeever, breaking into the top-25 against the world’s best cross-country skiers, while leading the Canadian squad is nothing short of extraordinary. Brian accomplished both feats on Wednesday, finishing 24th at the 2007 World Ski Championships in Sapporo, Japan.

“This is a very significant achievement for Brian,” said Al Maddox, executive director, Cross Country Canada. “To top the team performance in a 15-kilometre race, and to break into the top-25 at the World Championships shows what an incredible athlete he is. The result is stellar.”

Skiing in his first-ever able-bodied World Championships, McKeever, who is legally blind, led the Canadian squad to an impressive 24th-place finish in the men’s 15-kilometre skate-skiing race, crossing the line at 38 minutes 03.7 seconds, just under three minutes behind the winner, Lars Berger from Norway.

Legally blind as a result of Stargardt’s disease, which is a form of macular degeneration that affects central vision, McKeever has won nearly everything on the table in the ParaNordic ski world, and is now focused on competing with the world’s elite.

“Looking at him you would never though the significant challenges he faces each race,” said Tom Holland, high-performance director, Cross Country Canada. “Brian has a very difficult time with flat light, snow, and skiing down hills. All of these factors have come into play this week in Japan and he’s still been able to maintain pace with the leaders. It is really an incredible story that is developing on our team.”

On Saturday, the 27-year-old from Canmore, Alta., became the first Canadian ParaNordic athlete to ski in an able-bodied World Championships, finishing 39th in the men’s 30-kilometre pursuit race. Thursday’s result marks another significant result for McKeever. By meeting the Cross Country Canada standard of 50 FIS points, the Paralympian has made the eligibility standard for selection consideration to future World Cup events.

McKeever’s goal is to become the first winter-sport athlete to compete at both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. If he meets his goal, it will make him only the second athlete ever in the history of the Olympics/Paralympics to accomplish the feat.

It was a tough day for the rest of the Canadian squad as heavy snow began to fall about 30 minutes after the start of the race, wreaking havoc on the wax preparations.

“The snow started to fly just after the race started,” said Dave Wood, head coach of the national team. “The new damp snow on top of old snow made for very difficult conditions for the later start numbers. For the athletes starting later in the race they hit the worst of the snow storm, and suffered from skis that did not react well in the fresh snow.”

Other Canadian results included: Drew Goldsack, Red Deer, Alta. in 63rd (39:29.9); Devon Kershaw, of Sudbury, Ont., in 72nd (39:49.4); and George Grey, of Rossland, B.C., in 74th (39:56.6).

The 2007 World Ski Championships continue on Thursday with the women’s 4 x 5-kilometre relay race. Chandra Crawford, Tasha Betcherman, Sarah Daitch and Dasha Gaiazova will be hunting for a podium finish for Canada.

Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross-country skiing in Canada. Its 45,000 members are athletes, coaches and officials, including members of the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team and Canadian Disabled Cross-Country Ski Team. Cross-country skiing is Canada’s optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually.


For complete results, click here.

Results

1. Lars Berger, NOR, 35:30.0
2. Leanid Karneyenka, BLR, 36:25.8
3. Tobias Angerer, GER, 36:42.4
4. Johannes Eder, AUT 36:48.3
5. Axel Teichmann, GER, 37:04.6
24. Brian McKeever, Canmore, Alta., 38:03.7
63. Drew Goldsack, Red Deer, Alta., 39:29.9
72. Devon Kershaw, Sudbury, Ont., 39:49.4
74. George Grey, Rossland, B.C., 39:56.6