February 06, 2017 – Congratulations to the following athletes nominated to represent Team Canada at the 2017 Senior World Championships that will compete in the Otepaa World Cup February 18-19 and the World Senior Championships in Lahti, Finland from February 21st to March 5.

– Alex Harvey – NST – CNEPH – Club Nordique Mont Ste Anne
– Devon Kershaw – NST – Ona Wa Su
– Len Valjas – NST – Team Hardwood
– Jess Cockney – NST – Foothills Nordic
– Graeme Killick – NST – Ptarmigan Nordic
– Knute Johnsgaard – NST – AWCA – Whitehorse
– Emily Nishikawa – NST – Whitehorse
– Dahria Beatty – NST – AWCA – Whitehorse
– Cendrine Browne – NST – CNEPH – Fondeurs Laurentides
– Katherine Stewart-Jones – NST – NDC TBay – Nakkertok
– Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt – NST – AWCA – Rocky Mountain Racers

Selection Overview

1. Purpose:
a. To meet established CCC individual and team performance benchmarks for this event including targets leading to achieving podium success at the 2018 OWG.
b. To provide development opportunities to complement these benchmarks where it is in the best interest of the team’s overall results at the 2018 and 2022 OWG.

2. Objectives:
a. Individual events:
– OWG targeted athletes: 2 podiums + 2 top 12
– 2022 OWG targeted athletes: 2 top 20s

b. Relay events:
– Men top 5
– Women top 8

3. Team Size and Composition: Up to 11 athletes including a minimum of 4 athletes per gender.

Selection Process and Ranking

Selection was made using the following order of priorities with consideration of the maximum team size, the WSC quota and the purpose and objectives of this Championship.

8.3 World Cup and U23-World Junior Championships

a) Athletes in the FIS red group at the end of WC Period #2 and athletes having been on the podium at World Cup or World Senior Championships in the last 2 years will be selected. Athletes will be ranked according to their single best 2016-17 WC result. Alex Harvey

b) Athletes with a top 12 distance or top 12 sprint result on the 2016-17 WC may be selected. Athletes will be ranked according to their single best result.
Len Valjas, Devon Kershaw

c) Athletes with a 2016-17 WC podium relay team result may be selected.
Devon Kershaw, Alex Harvey, Knute Johnsgaard, Len Valjas

d) Athletes with a top 6 distance or top 6 sprint result at the 2017 U23-WJC may be selected. Athletes will be ranked according to their single best result. Not achieved.

e) Athletes having scored WC points in the 2016-17 season may be selected. Results from WC events with minimum red group participation will be reviewed based on average equivalent top 30 WC FIS points in the 2016-17 season. Graeme Killick – Davos 30K – 21st; Dahria Beatty – Davos sprint, La Clusaz 10K; Jess Cockney – PyeongChang (10th). Other top 30 WC results from PyeongChang were reviewed and found to be not equivalent to other WC results based on minimal red group participation and analysis of FIS points.

f) The WSC Coaching Team may recommend additional athletes to the HPD based on demonstrated and compelling reasons for selection that are evidence based to substantiate the recommendations. A combination of the following factors will be used in evaluating any recommendations: ranking lists from US Nationals (8.4), IPBs 3.2.c, Criteria Guidelines 3.3 and Trip Objectives 7.2.

The WSC Coaching Team recommended that 6 men and 5 women be selected to address the development needs of each gender and to maximize the number of WSC starts. The following athletes were recommended by the WSC Coaching Team and were selected:

Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt. Olivia was ill during the trials. She was recommended and selected based on her pre-Xmas NorAm results.
Katherine Stewart-Jones was recommended and selected based on her US Nationals distance results: 3rd Canadian in both distance races considering only athletes not already pre-selected.

8.4 US Nationals

The ranking lists from US Nationals were used as guidelines to fill remaining available nominations for specific events up to the maximum team size. Meeting one or more of the qualifying criteria as specified in this process did not guarantee nomination or team selection. The ranking lists were used as guidelines to fill remaining available nominations for specific events up to the maximum team size of 11 athletes.

a) Designated Competitions:

b) Distance Ranking List. Distance ranking list were established for each designated distance selection event based on final results ranking;

c) Distance selection ranking process: Distance selections were made based in the following ranking order based on final results:

i. Race winner(s) in the distance events; Emily Nishikawa (top Canadian both races), Knute Johnsgaard was the top Canadian considering both races. He was already selected under 1.c. No additional distance positions were considered for men based on the balance of sprint and distance athletes already selected.

ii. Second place finishers in the distance events. Cendrine Browne (second Canadian in both races).

d) Sprint selection ranking process:

The ranking list for the designated sprint competition was based on the final results list from the sprint qualifying event, Jan.12th.

Jess Cockney. Jess was the top overall qualifier at this race and was selected based on his qualifying results this season and proven ability to sprint qualify in international events in the last year. Jess was already selected under 8.3.e. No women were selected from the sprint ranking list.

Best Wishes from the selection committee to all the selected athletes and staff for a successful Championship in Lahti.

Jake Weaver CCC High Performance Committee
Stéphane Barrette CCC Director of Coach and Athlete Development
Richard Lemoine CCC High Performance Committee
Thomas Holland CCC High Performance Director