January 31, 2013 – The following athletes have been nominated for selection to the 2013 Senior World Championship team that will compete in the Davos World Cup Feb.16-17 and the WSC in Val di Fiemme, Italy Feb.20 – March 3.

Women
– Dasha Gaiazova – Rocky Mountain Racers – NST
– Chandra Crawford  – Canmore Nordic – NST
– Perianne Jones – Nakkertok – NST
– Andrea Dupont – Rocky Mountain Racers
– Emily Nishikawa – Whitehorse – AWCA -NST
– Brittany Webster – Highlands Nordic

Men
– Devon Kershaw – Ona-Wa-Su – NST
– Alex Harvey – Club Nordique M.S.A –CNEPH – NST
– Ivan Babikov – Foothills Nordic – NST
– Len Valjas – Team Hardwood – CNEPH – NST
– Phil Widmer – Canmore Nordic – AWCA
– Graham Nishikawa – Whitehorse – AWCA

Selection Overview
1. WSC Trip Objectives:
a) Two podium results.
b) A minimum of one top 12 result from each World Cup Team athlete.
c) One top 30 result from other athletes selected to the team.
d) Meet established benchmarks leading to 2014 OWG.

2. Comments on the selection criteria decisions from the selection committee
The selection committee consisted of Michael Badham, Christine Hicks, Stephane Barrette, and Thomas Holland). The role of the selection committee is to apply the criteria as written and critically evaluate the selection recommendations of the Head Coach. The selection criteria for this event were based on athlete performance at the following events (which had distances and techniques similar to the 2013 WSC):
– 2012-13 World Cups
– skiathlon and sprint events at the Haywood NorAm in Thunder Bay, Jan. 3 and 5, 2013 and
– the sprint and 10/15K skate events in Duntroon, Jan.26, 27.

The selection committee had to consider a couple of challenging decisions in selecting the most competitive team within the guidelines outlined in the selection criteria, the limitations of World Cup quota (distance 4 men and 3 women; sprint 4 men and 4 women) and the World Championships quota (4 men and 4 women per event) and budget limitations.

Men’s sprint selection: Phil Widmer clearly deserved to be selected to WSC.
(Refer to the sprint selection process below). The selection committee and the Head Coach also recognized that Jesse Cockney’s results in the sprint trial races, as judged by total qualifying times and final performance, were worthy of selection consideration. The lack of WC and WSC quota was the defining factor in not being able to select Jesse for this event. He is being selected as an alternate for the WSC, if any of the designated sprinters becomes ill before this event. In order to provide development opportunities for Jesse, he has been selected for the March WC sprint events in Lahti and Drammen.

Women’s distance selection: Emily Nishikawa won the first distance race in Lappe but became ill prior to the second distance race in Duntroon. The selection committee accepted this illness as a legitimate force majeure based on Emily winning the first distance selection race and her podium results in all 10K skate and skiathlon events in Canada this season. In order to accommodate the force majeure, the selection committee evaluated the single best distance selection race, based on CPL points, of the two winners of the distance trials races – Emily Nishikawa and Brittany Webster. Emily was selected based on comparing her single best race to Brittany Webster’s best single CPL result:

– Emily Nishikawa – Lappe skiathlon winner: 90.39 CPL
– Brittany Webster – Duntroon 10K skate winner: 89.80 CPL

Given that Brittany Webster won the second distance 10K skate winner, there was no fair way to judge if Brittany could have been ahead of Emily in the 10K skate trials race in Duntroon. Also considered is that Brittany has had 5 NorAm podiums (up to the end of the Duntroon NorAm), was the top Canadian in the Canmore WC 10K cl event and that there are distance quota starts available for women at the Davos WC and the WSC. Based on this examination of performance and opportunity, Brittany was also selected.

Selection Process and Ranking (as per priorities listed in 10.6 of the criteria).
a) Athletes in the current FIS red group at the end of WC period #1 as of 16 December 2012 and athletes having previously demonstrated the ability to be on the podium at World Cup, World Championship or Olympic Games will be selected: Alex Harvey,  Devon Kershaw, Len Valjas, Chandra Crawford,  Dasha Gaiazova
b) Athletes with a top 12 distance or top 12 classic sprint result on the 2012-13 WC will be selected.  Perianne Jones, Ivan Babikov + athletes listed in a.
c) The NST Head Coach may recommend up to one male and one female athlete to the selection committee based on demonstrating compelling reasons for selection that are evidence based in order to substantiate the recommendation. There were no recommendations.
d) The criteria allowed the NST Head Coach to make recommendations to the selection committee to increase the team size up to 11, based on meeting the purpose and objectives of the criterion and ranking lists for men and women from the designated NorAm sprint and distance selection events. The following ranking lists were defined in the criteria.

i) Distance Ranking Lists: Men and Women
There were two types of distance ranking lists:
– Final results of each designated distance selection events;
– A ranking list will be created based on an athlete’s sum total of the designated distance races (refer to 10.6); this ranking list will be calculated using the CPL system (refer HERE for CPL details).

Distance selection ranking process:
– Selections may be made based on the race winners in each event.
– If there are two race winners, the ranking list based on the athlete’s sum total of the designated distance races will decide the top ranked athlete for the purpose of selection.
– In the case that one athlete is the race winner of both events, then the second eligible male or female athlete would be the top second place finisher, considering the sum total of designated selection races.
Women: Emily Nishikawa was selected based on force majeure and winning the skiathlon race in Lappe.
Brittany Webster was also selected based on winning the distance race in Duntroon.
Men: Graham Nishikawa was selected for having won both distance races.

ii) Sprint Ranking Lists: Men and Women
The two designated sprint races will have separate ranking lists:
– A  final results list;
– A  sprint qualifying list This sprint qualifying list will be compiled by adding the sprint competition points at the selection events, calculated using the CPL system (refer HERE for CPL details).

Sprint selection ranking list: Sprint selections may be made based on the following:
– To be selected an athlete must have been a race winner in a minimum of one of the two sprint events;
– Andrea Dupont was selected for having been the winner of both of the women’s sprint races.
– Phil Widmer was selected for having been the winner of the Lappe sprint race and being the top qualifier in both sprint races.

e) Athletes with exceptional results at the U23 World Championships could be added to this trip and would not be considered part of the maximum team size of 11. The selection committee would make this decision based on the recommendations of the NST Head Coach considering the depth of field at the U23 Championships, time behind the winner, FIS points at this event and the potential to supplement the team already selected. This selection would be dependent on appropriate start positions being available after consideration of the start positions not already filled by the selected team (10.6a-d). No athletes were recommended.

Congratulations and Best Wishes from the selection committee to all the selected athletes and staff for a successful Championship in Val di Fiemme,
– Michael Badham, CCC High Performance Committee
– Christine Hicks, CCC High Performance Committee
– Stéphane Barrette, CCC Director of Coach and Athlete Development – CCC HPC
– Thomas Holland, CCC Director of High Performance – Chair CCC HPC