Kershaw earns another historic result; Northug wins gold
The Globe and Mail
By Allan Maki, The Globe and Mail Posted Sunday, February 28,
WHISTLER - There was so much to be thankful for - seven top-10 finishes, the men's pursuit race where three Canadians finished ahead Petter Northug, the Olympics alpha skier. Then there was the fourth-place showing in the team sprint.
But Devon Kershaw wanted more on the last day of cross-country skiing at Whistler Olympic Park; 1.5 seconds more.
Had he been just that much faster in the 50-kilometres classic, had he not slipped here or lost ground there, Kershaw would have won the gold medal. Instead, he was fifth; the same placing teammate Ivan Babikov managed in the 15-km, the first men's event of the 2010 Winter Games.
"I'm super happy and sad for him at the same time," Babikov said of Kershaw Sunday. "I felt the same way. It's a great result, but you're thinking, ‘So close, so far.'"
Those words could best sum up Canada's cross-country efforts against the traditional powers of Norway, Sweden and Germany. On a number of occasions, the men and women challenged marvelously. Other times they weren't nearly as good. Overall, the men fashioned the best results but couldn't secure a medal.
"I would say we exceeded [their Olympic ambitions]," said George Grey, who was 18th in the 50-km. "We didn't get a medal. It wasn't an expectation, more of a hope. The only thing we missed was one medal on the men's team but we were so close."
That Kershaw was the one to lead his side in the cross-country's marathon race was very much a surprise. Days earlier, it was thought the 27-year-old Canmore resident would be the odd man out so that Canada could race Brian McKeever, the visually-impaired skier who made history by becoming the first Paralympian named to a Winter Olympic team.
Cross-country Canada officials met Friday and decided to go with their four best skiers, which meant McKeever was the alternate behind Kershaw, Grey, Babikov and Alex Harvey. Babikov and Harvey, considered the best chances for a medal in the 50-km, finished outside the top-30.
"This is only the fourth 50-km of my life," said Kershaw, who was seventh in a World Cup 50-km last year and believed he executed his game to plan to perfection "I wanted to stay with the leaders and conserve energy. Over two hours, you have to be so calm, so collected and save energy. But to be so close to a medal in the 50 km ... When I see my wax technicians it's going to be very hard. A lot of emotion."
Kershaw flittered in and out of the top-20 until late in the last lap when Germany's Axel Teichmann pulled free from the pack. Northug waited until the straightaway before racing into the lead to win his fourth medal and second gold of these Games. Kershaw had no idea where he'd placed when he crossed the finish line.
"When I lunged I didn't know what place it was for and when I looked at the board, I was, ‘Man,'" said Kershaw. "I hold my head up high. But at the same time it's really difficult to place fifth. In a race so long to be 1.5 seconds back, so it's going to take awhile (to get over it)."
The majority of the men's team is expected to stick around for 2014. Grey will ski in the 2011 world championships then gauge his performance on a year-to-year basis. In the weeks ahead, the team will reflect on its Callaghan Valley performance, both the good and what how good it could have been.
"One point five seconds from the gold," said Kershaw. "I'm going to leave these Olympic really proud of what we accomplished but you never know if you got another chance. I hope we do."
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