Chris Klebl leads Canucks with fifth-place finish in men’s sitting race
FINSTERAU, Ger.—Three of Canada’s para-nordic athletes fought their way into the top-10 at in a cross-country ski distance race at the World Cup finals in Finsterau, Germany on Saturday.
Chris Klebl, of Canmore, Alta., led the Canadian charge with a fifth-place finish in the men’s 15-kilometre sit-ski race. The 39-year-old Klebl clocked a time of 52 minutes 26.0 seconds.
“It was a pretty tough course and they made some changes to it after yesterday’s biathlon race,” said Klebl, who sits fourth in the overall IPC World Cup standings. “It was tricky, hard and fast snow conditions which made it a real challenge, but I’m happy with my finish.”
Russia’s Irek Zarpov finished on top in the men’s sit-ski after posting a time of 52:26.0. Norway’s Trygve Steinar Larsen claimed the silver at 52:40.1, while Alianksandr Davidovich, of Belarus, rounded out the podium in third (53:31.5).
“The sit-ski field has always been one of the largest in para-nordic sport,” said Klebl. “Getting on the podium isn’t easy <for a number of reasons> but beating the top-three is really challenging.”
Two other Canucks also crossed the line in the top-10.
Jody Barber, of Smithers, B.C., finished seventh in the women’s 15-kilometre skate-ski race with a time of 45:19.1. Poland’s Katarzyna Rogowiec won the women’s standing division with a time of 38:49.8.
Robbi Weldon and her guide of Brian Berry, both of Thunder Bay, Ont., finished eighth in the women’s visually impaired category. The 2010 Paralympic duo finished with a time of 45:04.7.
Russia’s Elena Remizova, and her guide of Natalia Yakimova, won the gold at 40:15.1.
The IPC World Cup Finals wrap up on Sunday in Germany with the biathlon sprint races.
Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross-country skiing in Canada, which is the nation’s optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadiansparticipating annually. Its 51,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all ages and abilities, including those on Canada’s National Ski Teams and Para-Nordic Ski Teams. With the support of its valued corporate partners – Haywood Securities Inc., AltaGas, Teck Resources Ltd. and Statoil – along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and Own the Podium, Cross Country Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and world champions. For more information on Cross Country Canada, please visit us at www.cccski.com.
Complete World Cup Results: http://www.weltcup-finsterau.com/ergebnisse.html
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