March 4, 2006 – Less than a week after the conclusion of the 2006 Olympic
Winter Games, Canada’s Beckie Scott was back on the World Cup
cross-country ski circuit on Saturday for the formidable challenge of
the 45-km classic, the longest race on the competitive calendar of
the women’s division.

The Vermilion, Alta. native, a 2002 Olympic champion and, along with
compatriot Sara Renner, the winner of a silver medal in Torino in the
women’s team sprint, hustled over the finish line in Saturday’s race
in a time of two hours, 22 minutes and six seconds, good for
11th-place overall out of the 39-competitor field.

“I think Beckie was looking for a little bit more with the result,
but it was a hard effort she put in today,” said Dave Wood, coach of
Canada’s senior cross-country squad. “It’s kind of a slow track and
she put up a good fight. In this event, you have to be patient and
you have to gritty.”

Although she fell just shy of a top-10 finish, Scott’s trademark grit
undoubtedly paid off in the World Cup standings, with Saturday’s
result bumping her up to second place with 624 overall combined
points. She trails only Norway’s Marit Bjoergen, who proved a force
to be reckoned with over Saturday’s grueling 45-km stretch.

Bjoergen, who sits atop the international heap with 745 points, blew
away the field Saturday after an initial break five km into the race
with teammate Hilde Pedersen. However, the reigning World Cup points
leader kicked into high gear over the final 10 km of the course to
cross the finish line in a time of 2:17:53, close to 1.5 minutes
ahead of her compatriot.

Rounding out the podium finishers was Slovakia’s Petra Majdic, who
recorded a time of 2:21:16 en route to the bronze medal.

World Cup action continues tomorrow in Mora with the men’s 90-km
classic. George Grey of Rossland, B.C., who was initially looking to
build on his recent Olympic debut, will miss tomorrow’s race due to
illness.

Canada’s senior cross-country team returns to action on March 7 with
the sprint events in Borlange, Sweden.

Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross-country skiing in
Canada. Its 45,000 members are athletes, coaches and officials,
including members of the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team and Canadian
Disabled Cross-Country Ski Team. Cross-country skiing is Canada’s
optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one
million Canadians participating annually.

Complete Results: www.fis-ski.com

Top-5 Women Results (45-km classic):
1. Marit Bjoergen, NOR, 2:17:53; 2. Hilde Pedersen, NOR, 2:19:15; 3.
Petra Majdic, SLO, 2:21:16; 4. Virpi Kuitunen, FIN, 2:21:15; 5. Kirsi
Vaelimaa, FIN, 2:21:28.
Canadian Results:
11. Beckie Scott, Vermilion, Alta., 2:22:06.