March 14, 2008 (Vancouver, British Columbia) – With just 700 days remaining until the world’s best athletes gather in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games, Canada’s top cross-country skiers are set to cut their first tracks into British Columbia where they will compete in the 81st at Whistler Olympic Park’s cross-country ski stadium, March 16-23, 2008.

More than 500 of Canada’s top cross-country skiers in four age groups and Para-Nordic will descend on the newly-constructed Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley for their first training and competition events on the world-leading venue. Athletes will compete in a series of five Canadian Championship races in the following disciplines: team sprints; individual distance; and Teck Cominco sprint races.

“The Haywood Ski Nationals is the highest-profiled cross-country ski event on the domestic race calendar and we are thrilled to bring the nation’s best athletes to this new state-of-the-art facility near Whistler,” said Al Maddox, executive director, Cross Country Canada, who joined members of Canada’s national team athletes for a media conference in Vancouver en route to travelling to the Olympic site. “This is a critical opportunity for our team to begin developing home field advantage and we look forward to a week of great racing.”

Cross Country Canada’s long-time sponsor, Haywood Securities Inc., took advantage of the national team being in town to extend its commitment of developing the nation’s high-performance cross-country ski athletes into international heroes by announcing a three-year partnership to support the Haywood Ski Nationals until 2010.

“We are extremely proud to extend our financial commitment to help these great athletes achieve success domestically and on the world stage,” said Rob Blanchard, president of Haywood Securities. “It is our hope that our continued contribution will help give Canada’s cross-country skiers a competitive advantage, and put them on top of the podium.”

Haywood Securities first joined Cross Country Canada’s team in 2001 with a $40,000 donation. Since that time, Haywood’s investment has grown to more than $1.2 million in six years, and has played a key role in Sara Renner, Chandra Crawford, Beckie Scott, Brian McKeever, Colette Bourgonje and Devon Kershaw winning international medals for Canada.

“Our sport has skied into the history books over the last four years, and Haywood Securities has been with us every step of the way,” said Maddox. “The Haywood Ski Nationals also marks the beginning of a new journey towards the international podium, and we look forward to adding additional chapters to our storied past with Haywood at our side over the next three years.”

Two-time World Cup and Olympic gold medallist, Chandra Crawford, will lead a deep and talented field of the nation’s best in their first trip around Whistler Olympic Park. Crawford, who won her first World Cup gold medal just over one month ago when she tactfully led the world’s best on a trip towards the podium during a World Cup race at the her home training centre in Canmore, Alta. – the host venue of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games’ cross-country ski competition. Crawford added to her World Cup loot by winning gold again in Lahti, Finland two weeks ago. A relative newcomer to the elite level of cross-country skiing heading into the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Crawford took the world by surprise when she won Olympic gold in Torino.

“It’s really great for our sport to hold a national championships where the best racers of all ages in the country are able to come together, and that for me is really exciting so I make an effort to participate each year when I can,” said Crawford, who will hold a Fast and Female event at Whistler Olympic Park on March 24, which will encourage young girls to get involved in cross-country skiing. “I can’t wait to get on the new trails. This will be a great opportunity to study the trails, but also to celebrate our sport and enjoy racing with the best in the country.”

Crawford will be in tough against some of the world’s best cross-country skiers who will be vying for the Canadian crown. Her teammate and Olympic, World Championship and World Cup medallist, Sara Renner, will be amongst the top women cross-country skiers in the country bidding for a national title.

The Olympic men’s sprint champion, Bjoern Lind, and three other sprinters from Sweden have also registered to compete in Canada, while the United States will send World Cup gold medallist, Kikkan Randal, and silver medallist, Andrew Newell to compete.

Races for Para-Nordic athletes, which were first introduced to the Haywood Ski Nationals program in 2003, will be staged on the four individual race days. The Canadian Para-Nordic Team will face stiff competition from athletes as far away as Japan as they too begin the process of familiarizing themselves with the Paralympic trails at Whistler Olympic Park. Canada’s strong showing at the 2006 Paralympics reflects the development of Para-Nordic cross-country skiing across Canada. The 2008 event will feature four-time Paralympic medallist, Colette Bourgonje, of Saskatoon, and Robbi Weldon, of Thunder Bay, Ont., who won her first IPC World Cup medal this season.

The Haywood Ski Nationals also includes the Canadian Colleges and University Championships (CCUNC). Integrated into the championship format, the CCUNC was first introduced at the 2000 Ski Nationals in Canmore. At these Championships, the top Men’s and Women’s school teams are recognized.

For more information on the 2008 Haywood Ski National Championships, please visit us at <http://www.skinationals.com/>www.skinationals.com