February 21, 2013 (Val di Fiemme, Italy) – Brilliant skiing by Canadian Alex Harvey delivered him a historic bronze medal in the men’s 1.5km CL Sprint today at the 2013 FIS Nordic World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, the first medal event of these championships.

Harvey, who squeaked into the heats placing 26th in the qualifications, powered past top Swedish sprinter, Emil Joensson, on the final flat to the finish earning Canada’s first men’s individual Nordic Worlds medal and Canada’s second-ever Nordic World Championships men’s medal as he and Devon Kershaw won Team Sprint gold in Oslo in 2011. In 2005 Canada’s Sarah Renner became the first North American to medal at a Nordic World Championships winning bronze in the CL Sprint in Obertsdorf, Germany.

Russia’s Olympic gold medalist in today’s sprint event, Nikita Kriukov, triumphed over Norwegian star Petter Northug for the win here today – full report to follow.

Full results HERE.