March 11, 2006 – It might not be her favourite event on the cross-country ski circuit, but Canada’s Beckie Scott proved she was more than up for the grueling challenge of the 30-km skate race in World Cup action on Saturday.

Although the 31-year-old Vermilion, Alta. native fell just shy of a podium spot with a fourth-place finish, she made up crucial ground in the heated race for overall World Cup dominance. The strong result earned her 50 points in the standings, effectively halving the margin held by Norway’s Marit Bjoergen, the current overall World Cup points leader, who now sits 46 points ahead of second-place Scott.

In other Canadian results, Sara Renner, of Canmore, Alta., finished 27th in a time of 1:25:55.5. She earned an additional four World Cup points in the process to solidify her current 10th-place overall standing.

Distance specialist Julia Tchepalova took the gold medal honour after crossing the finish line at the 1:18:44.1 mark, further strengthening the Russian’s position atop the World Cup distance standings. Rounding out the top podium finishers was the Czech Republic’s Katerina Neumannova, who clocked in at 1:19:01.3, while Germany’s Evi Sachenbacher skied into the bronze medal spot.

George Grey was the lone Canuck taking on the epic odyssey of the men’s 50-km race, with the Rossland, B.C. product putting forth a valiant effort for a 56th-place finish.

Sweden’s Anders Soedergren was the toast of the field after he snagged the gold medal in a time of 2:10:42.5. Italy’s Giorgio di Centa and Germany’s Tom Reichelt persevered for the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The Canadian Cross-Country Team returns to action on March 15 in Changchun, China.

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: http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?event_id=17900

Top-5 Women’s Results:
1. Julia Tchepalova, RUS, 1:18:44.1; 2. Katerina Neumannova, CZE, 1:19:01.3; 3. Evi Sachenbacher, GER, 1:19:57.0; 4. Beckie Scott, Vermilion, Alta., CAN, 1:20:36.9; 5. Sabina Valusa, ITA, 1:20:43.1.
Canadian Results:
27. Sara Renner, Canmore, Alta., 1:25:55.5.

Top-5 Men’s Results:
1. Anders Soedergren, SWE, 2:10:42.5; 2. Giorgio di Centa, ITA, 2:11:05.6; 3. Tom Reichelt, GER, 2:11:25.5; 4. Emmanuel Jonnier, FRA, 2:11:35.8; 5. Geir Ludvig Aasen, NOR, 2:12:04.5.
Canadian Results:
56. George Grey, Rossland, B.C., 2:28:08.0.