December 17, 2004 – Canada’s Chandra Crawford and Gordon Jewett dashed to the top of the podium in the Madshus Sprint at a Haywood NorAm event, the nation’s premiere development cross-country skiing race series, in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Crawford of Canmore, Alta., who is developing into one of the country’s most prolific cross-country ski sprinters behind powerhouses Beckie Scott and Sara Renner, led the top-16 women into the head-to-head heats. The heats consist of four athletes racing simultaneously, with the top-two crossing the line advancing to the next round. Crawford blazed her way through the heats until she went head-to-head with three-time Olympian, Milaine Theriault in the final.

“It was a battle with Milaine, but I led from the start and bullied my way around the track and came out the winner,” said Crawford, whose victory in Quebec marks her second straight Madshus sprint title of the season. “This is the (World Championship) trials and it is the most intense and nerve-racking thing. I feel like I have just lifted a piano off my back by winning today.”

While Crawford hopped to the top step of the podium, Milaine Theriault of St. Quentin, N.B. grabbed the silver medal in women’s action. Perianne Jones of Almonte, Ont., the leader of Canada’s junior program, won the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, Gordon Jewett of Toronto won his first ever Haywood NorAm gold medal while matched against a skilled group of Canucks on the hilly Quebec course in the men’s sprint final. The 26-year-old, known more for his distance skiing, powered his way around the one-kilometre track for his first title.

“This is a super exciting and fantastic day for me,” said Jewett, who added the victory gives him additional confidence to compete at an elite level. “To be able go up against the most talented male skiers in this country head-to-head, and beat them, is a huge boost for my confidence. Fifty per cent of winning is confidence, so I hope this will be a breakthrough for me. It was fun today and I’m going to enjoy it.”

Jewett fought off a hard-charging Drew Goldsack of Red Deer, Alta., who took home the silver medal, while 21-year-old Sean Crooks of Thunder Bay, Ont. rounded out the top-three in the bronze medal position.

The Haywood NorAm series continues in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. on Saturday with a 10-kilometre classic mass start competition for the women and a 15-kilometre classic mass start race for the men.