March 11, 2004 – Canada's Beckie Scott added a sliver lining to her season, saving her best performance for last on Friday, finishing second in a cross-country ski sprint competition at the World Cup Finals in Pragelato, Italy, the race site for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

The performance was the first podium result of the year for Scott, and bumped her into sixth-place in the overall World Cup sprint standings for the 2003-04 campaign, the highest she has ever finished in her career.

“This is a great way to end the season, and I am happy it all came together today,” said Scott, who has been making a steady climb to the podium over the past two months with consistent top-10 finishes and a fourth-place result last week. “I was determined to finish the season on a high note.”

Scott qualified sixth in a field of 45 of the worlds best for the elimination round, which has the top-16 athletes racing in heats of four. The top-two athletes in each heat move on towards the final. The Vermilion, Alta. native was untouchable in her journey towards the podium, handily winning each heat.

In the final, Scott had a rematch from last-weeks fourth-place result with overall World Cup leader Marit Bjoergen, of Norway. Bjoergen and Scott quickly separated themselves from the other two racers in the final with the Canadian speedster leading the first half in the race for gold, only to come up short by two-one-hundredths of a second in the end.

“It came down to the wire but I just didn't have enough to get the job done,” said Scott. “Marit has been a clear winner all season long and nobody has challenged her. I'm glad that I was the person who stepped up and was able to give her a run today.”

Joining Bjoergen and Scott on the podium was Elina Hietamaeki-Pienimaeki, of Finland, who won the dash for third over Claudia Kuenzel, of Germany. Canada's Sara Renner, of Canmore, Alta., and Milaine Theriault, of St. Quentin, N.B., both failed to qualify for the finals, finishing 21st and 39th respectively.

The Canadian men were also in action on Friday continuing their climb up the World Cup standings. The four-man Canadian contingent, who are pleasantly enjoying a successful rookie season at the elite level, have made steady improvements in each race this season. Drew Goldsack, of Red Deer, Alta., led the Canadian charge. The 22-year-old posted his best sprint result of the year finishing 35th. Devon Kershaw, 21, of Sudbury, Ont., was 44th, while 24-year-old George Grey, of Rossland, B.C. was 47th, and 26-year-old Chris Jeffries, of Chelsea, Que., was 60th.

Freddy Schwienbacher grabbed the gold medal in front of his hometown crowd. The Italian beat out two Norwegian athletes to the line as teammates Jens Arne Svartedal and Boerre Naess rounded out the top-three.

The World Cup Finals continue in Italy with the distance events this weekend for the Canadian Team. The women's team will compete in a 15-kilometre competition on Saturday, while the men will hit the line for a 30-kilometre race Sunday. Following the World Cup Finals, the entire Canadian team, including Beckie Scott, will head home for the Canadian Championships in Charlo, N.B., March 15-21, 2004.

Complete Results: Top-8 Women and Canadian Results: 1.Marit Bjoergen, Norway; 2. Beckie Scott, Vermilion, Alta.; 3. Elina Hietamaeki-Pienimaeki, FIN; 4. Claudia Kuenzel, GER; 5. Gabriella Paruzzi, ITA; 6. Aino Kaisa Saarinen, FIN; 7. Pirjo Manninen, FIN; 8. Christina Kelder, ITA.

Canadian Results: 21. Sara Renner, Canmore, Alta. 39. Milaine Theriault, St. Quentin, N.B.