January 25, 2011 (Otepaa, Estonia) – Canada’s contingent for the 2011 World Junior/U23 Championships (WJCs) in Otepaa, Estonia, consists of 19 athletes, along with a support crew of 8 lead by Senior Development Team Coach, Eric De Nys. This year’s team is comprised of a mix of veterans and rookies, and will be anchored by Alex Harvey (Mont Ste Anne/NST), already a seasoned Olympic and World Cup competitor at 22 years of age. Along with Harvey, this group of proven and emerging talents should contend for top-20 results, and possibly podium positions.

On the junior women’s side, Heidi Widmer (Foothills/AWCA), Annika Hicks (Canmore Nordic/AWCA), Janelle Greer (Whitehorse/AWCA) and Heather Mehain (Sovereign Lake/BC Ski Team) will represent Canada this week. Widmer, who is making her 3rd appearance at the WJCs, has enjoyed a strong start to the 2011 season and could contest for a top-20 result based on past performances at this competition. Greer, a veteran of the 2009 championships, where she notched 34th in the Classic sprint, will be gunning for the top 30 this time. Hicks, who is a distance specialist, is making her first appearance at the WJCs. With a top-20 OPA Cup result and a victory at Nationals in Whitehorse (10k F) last year, she could contend as well. Mehain, from Vernon B.C., is also making her WJCs debut.

On the junior men’s side, Andy Shields (Waterloo Region Nordic/NDC-TB) is returning to the championships after posting a best finish of 42nd in Hinterzarten (GER) last year. Shields has had a stellar start to the 2011 season with multiple podium finishes at the western NorAms and dominant performances in the distance events at the trial races in Thunder Bay. No doubt he will be looking to build on these races and climb higher up the results list at this year’s championships.

Patrick Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok/Quebec Ski Team) is also coming off a solid start to the NorAm season and will be looking for a top-30 result in Otepaa, after finishing 31st in the 10k Classic last year in Hinterzarten. Other junior men competing for Canada in Otepaa include Jordan Cascagnette (Team Hardwood/AWCA), Russell Kennedy (Canmore Nordic) and Aaron Gillmor (Rocky Mountain Racers/Alberta Ski Team).

While this year’s group of U23 women is unlikely to match Brittany Webster’s performance at last year’s championships (2 top-10s), they have the credentials and experience to pull off a surprise or two. The squad consists of Emily Nishikawa (Whitehorse/AWCA), Alysson Marshall (Larch Hills/AWCA), Sara Hewitt (Foothills Nordic/AWCA), and Erin Tribe (Team Hardwood/NDC-TB). Nishikawa, who recorded a top-10 result on last year’s OPA tour and had her first European World Cup start in Otepaa last weekend, could contend for a top-20.

Marshall has had solid results in previous trips to these championships (including a 12th in 2009) and made her Euro World Cup debut in Otepaa last week, narrowly missing qualifying for the Classic sprint heats. She could do well in this same event at the U23 championships. Hewitt has both WJCs experience (2007) and has posted top-20 results on the OPA tour. Erin Tribe will be attending her first WJCs, but has previous international racing experience, including a top-30 in Campra (SUI) on last year’s OPA tour.

Canada’s best prospects for medal performances come from the men’s U23 side, which will be anchored by Alex Harvey and Len Valjas (Team Hardwood/NST), who is enjoying a breakout rookie season on the World Cup tour. After posting 2 top-10 finishes in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and a 10th overall finish in this year’s Tour de Ski, Harvey must be considered a medal threat in every event he enters. Harvey will no doubt be looking to add gold to the silver (2008) and bronze (2007) medals he collected at previous WJCs.

Valjas, meanwhile, has turned heads on the World Cup circuit so far this year, as much for his results as for his 6’6” stature. Primarily a sprinter, Valjas has qualified twice for sprint heats on the World Cup this year, including a 17th place finish in Davos.

Valjas will have the added advantage of a “hometown” crowd behind him. While born in Toronto, Valjas’s parents are Estonian and the country has embraced him as one of their own. Harvey and Valjas will also be joined in Otepaa by Kevin Sandau (Foothills Nordic/AWCA/NST), who has posted top-20 results in previous WJCs, and Graeme Killick (Banff Ski Runners/NST), who could be a top-10 contender in the distance races. Also racing for Canada will be Jess Cockney (Foothills Nordic/AWCA) and Michael Somppi (Lappe Nordic/NDC-TB).