December 8, 2003 – Canada's top-two cross-country skiers, Beckie Scott and Sara Renner, teamed up to finish ninth on Sunday while representing the nation in the team sprint relay discipline at a World Cup competition in Dobbiaco, Italy.

Each team has two athletes in the team sprint relay, which begins in a mass start format. Each athlete completes a 1.2 kilometre course before handing off to her teammate in an exchange area. The cycle is repeated three times before the race is completed.

“The result wasn't as high as we would have liked, but we definitely hung in there as well as we could,” said Beckie Scott, the 2002 Olympic silver medalist in the 5 kilometre pursuit, who adds the Canadian pair learned what they need to work on to improve in the team sprint. “We were spending to much time in our exchange areas, so we need to work on speeding that up to improve our times.”

The Canadians, who were one of 18 teams entered in the field, were the sixth fastest nation and one of 10 teams that advanced through to the finals. Fighting off a few tactical errors, the duo combined to finish in a time of 14 minutes 33.2 seconds, nearly nine seconds off the pace set by Norway I (14:24.2). The Norwegian team of Hilde Pedersen and Marit Bjoergen won a thrilling fight to the finish over the Germany I team of Evi Sachenbacher and Claudia Kuenzel by 3 seconds (14:24.5). Italy II, Karin Moroder and Christina Kelder, were the next best team crossing the line, taking home the bronze medal with a time of 14:28.5

Traditionally known for their sprinting talents and individual starting abilities, the Canadian women admit the mass start format is something they need to get better at as the formats of cross-country skiing continue to change quickly.

“It's really hard to develop a team strategy in a mass start. You have to be prepared to be reactive and always look for an open hole or take advantage of someone's mistake,” said Scott, who was making her season-debut with Renner this weekend on the World Cup circuit, after missing the first two events. “We are looking forward to an individual start and doing some old fashioned racing.”

Scott and Renner are expected to get their next start in Davos, Switzerland in a week for the next stop on the World Cup circuit, December 13-14. Poor snow conditions could however get in the way of the next event on the World Cup cross-country skiing calendar in Davos. Back home, Canada's young development cross-country ski team will be in Calgary to compete in the second Haywood NorAm Canada Cup event at Canada Olympic Park.

Results: 1. Norway I    14:24.2 2. Germany I    14:24.5 3. Italy II         14:28.5 4. Sweden II    14:30.8 5. Sweden I     14:31.4 6. Italy I     14:32.2 7. Russia I         14:32.6 8. Germany II    14:33.1 9. Canada      14:33.2 10. Norway II    14:37.9