August 30, 2015 (Wanaka, New Zealand) – A quality international field featuring Olympians and national champions provided spectacular action at the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ FIS Cross-Country Skiing Australia New Zealand Continental Cup (ANC) Sprint at Snow Farm NZ near Wanaka, with top honours going to Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt of Canada.

Olivia Nesbitt all smiles © CCC

On Aug. 28 Bouffard-Nesbitt won gold in the cross-country sprint race on an 800m course with the men completing two laps and the women one lap. Recording the second fastest time in the qualifications just behind Olympian Barbara Jezersek (SLO), Bouffard-Nesbitt won her semi convincingly and struck gold over Jezersek and third-placed Katerina Paul of Australia.

Fellow Canuck William Poffenroth took home the bronze in the men’s 1.6km sprint as Korea went 1-2 with Kim Eun-Ho winning followed by Jun-Ho Hwang in second. Stuart Harden (Can) ended up 5th after matching Eun-Ho as the top qualifier.

“It was a good race on a very good track here at Snow Farm,” said Bouffard-Nesbitt. “I felt great heading in to the finals and the result is a good end to my month-long training camp here in New Zealand.”

On Sat. Aug. 29, in the women’s 10k classic mass start Bouffard-Nesbitt landed third on the podium with teammate Brandy Stewart in 4th a minute behind. Korea’s Chae-Won Lee had the winning time of 36:06 with World Cup veteran Jezersek claiming the bronze.

In the men’s 15km CL the victory went to Korea’s Jun-Ho Hwang as Harden led the Canadian men in 7th followed by Poffenroth in 9th, Donny Boake in 10th and Evan Girard in 12th.

On the final day in the women’s Individual Start 5km FR on Sunday, Aug 30, Bouffard-Nesbitt grabbed bronze again with Stewart 5th and Shelby Dickey 7th. Jezersek was the winner.

It was Korea again in the men’s 10km FR as Seong-Beom Park recorded the fastest time over New Zealand’s Andy Pohl with Korean skiers taking 3rd to 6th as Poffenroth was 7th, Harden finished 11th, Boake was 13th and Girard was 14th.

Sprint Classic (Aug 28) results here.
Mass Start Classic (Aug 29) results here.
Individual Start Freestyle (Aug 30) results here.