January 20, 2008 (Canmore, Alta.) – Andreas Waldmeier is getting serious. On Saturday, the top Swiss skier was working on his classic stride while plowing through a raging blizzard that bombed the Canmore Nordic Centre on Saturday.

Winds tore at the flags of the nations that line the stadium as both athletes and the organizing committee prepared for the first races, which are to be held on Tuesday, Jan. 22. Despite the gusting, snowy winds, the Swiss team is happy to be training in Canada. “We love it here,” said Trond Nystad, Swiss Sprint coach and former US XC Team coach. “It’s perfect. There are almost no venues in Europe that can match this venue. They have made a good investment. To the Europeans, the skiing is perfect but adjustments have to be made with patience,” he added.

“Everyone has to adjust to the time change and travel,” Nystad said. “But I hope to put some of our guys into the top 30.” The Swiss team has not had much time to check out the local scenery, he said. “We may check out Banff tomorrow,” Nystad said. “And drive around a bit.”

Seraina Mischol is hoping to do some shopping after race week. “After racing we will have more time,” Mischol said. “I still have a little jet lag. But this year it’s better than it was for me two years ago. That was more hard.” The temperatures were not too cold for Swiss skier Remo Fischer. “There is a little bit more snow,” Fischer said. “But the temperature is not too cold. It’s normal for training.” Fischer said the team is eating their meals at their hotel restaurant and they had a chance to check out the Drake Pub in Canmore for a short time last night

Top skier, 32 year-old, 3-time Olympian Valentina Shevchenko from Ukraine is impressed with Canmore. “It is very beautiful,” Shevchenko said. “Very wintery and cold. A very good place with a difficult track.” Shevchenko was third overall at the inaugural Tour de Ski last year and has two World Cup wins with numerous top-3 finishes under her belt.

Meanwhile top Swedish skier and 2006 Olympian, Andres Sodergren, arrived in Canmore two days ago. “I am still a little tired, but I feel better today. We have no high altitude training at home,” Sodergren said. “It is a really good course and good conditions here. I hope for the podium.” Sodergren is 30 years old and was a silver medalist at the 50km race at the 2003 Nordic Worlds. He’s a strong skater with a WCup win, 10 other WCup top-3s, and five WCup pursuit podiums on his resume, so he is a top contender at Canmore.

Riikka Sarasoja, from Finland, was happy Canada is providing snow. “It is going fine,” Sarasoja said. “Conditions are very good here compared to Finland. We have had a very bad winter there for two years.” Six women and four men are on the Finnish team. “We had a chance to shop yesterday,” Sarasoja said. “But I didn’t go. I will shop later for souvenirs.”

Meanwhile, Canadian Devon Kershaw is happy to be racing at home. “I know these trails very well,” Kershaw said. “It’s hard to know how we will do next week. The field is very competitive, it’s a World Cup. At the risk of sounding cliché, I will do the best I can, stay with the pack and hopefully make it to the podium.”

Canadian coach Dave Wood said it is super to be in Canmore. “Everything is going so well here,” Wood said. “I think we’ll do well. I’m optimistic. I think our preparations have gone well and we have had some good success at World Cups up to now.”

The course is very tough, he said. “But it is an international course,” Wood said. “It should be tough. I think the Canmore Nordic Centre is the best international race site in the world that I have seen. The local organizing committee has done a hell of a job. Ken Davies and Robert Hogg really deserve recognition.”

Training continues on Sunday.