24
Yukon News
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
SPORTS AND
RECREATION
Four Whitehorse skiers nominated to national teams Tom Patrick
“I’m very pleased,” said Beatty. “It was a goal throughout last season. Obviously it wasn’t ukon’s powerhouse status something I was solely focused in cross-country skiing is on, but I was hoping to have a evident with a read through the strong enough season to qualify national team nominations. for the senior team. I knew Whitehorse will be reprecoming out of the junior world sented by four skiers over three championship, placing 15th and national teams, Cross Country 20th there, that I had met the Canada announced on Friday. criteria. So I was hoping to be Graham Nishikawa, Dahria nominated and I was really exBeatty, Annah Hanthorn and, cited to be named to the team.” not surprisingly, Olympian Beatty had the largest medal Emily Nishikawa were included haul of the Yukon skiers at the in the team and development Haywood Nationals. She won centre nominations. five medals, including three Next ski season will mark a gold, en route to taking first change in course in Graham’s place in the junior women agski career. gregate standings. The 30-year-old has been Next season will be Hannominated to Canada’s Parathorn’s last as a junior and her Nordic World Cup Team to first on the national junior team. continue his work with famed “I was very excited, very Paralympian Brian McKeever, surprised,” said Hanthorn. “I who is legally blind. immediately wrote an email to Graham helped McKeever my mom.” win three gold medals at the SoThis past season was the chi Paralympic Games in March. 19-year-old’s first on the Yukon He doesn’t plan to compete Ski Team, having moved to individually any more. Whitehorse from Fort McPher“I will be just guiding from son, N.W.T., last summer. Trainnow on,” said Graham. “It’s a ing in Whitehorse has helped little bit of a shift. Things aren’t Scott Grant/Canadian Paralympic Committee her along, she said. totally set in stone, but I’m Whitehorse’s Graham Nishikawa, left, guides Brian McKeever at the Sochi Paralympic Games “It was definitely a huge nominated as a guide because in March. Nishikawa has been named to Canada’s Para-Nordic World Cup team and will focus bonus moving here,” said of our success in Sochi at the on his role as a guide. Hanthorn. “Alain (Masson) and Paralympics and I’ll continue to Amanda (Deuling) are such guide Brian over the next couple 42nd place finish in the 15-kilogood coaches and I have really years.” metre skiathlon. good teammates. The waxing is Graham has been on the “That was a pretty incredible phenomenal, and the training.” senior development team the experience,” said Emily. “That Hanthorn’s goal for next last six seasons. He pocketed a first race – the 15-kilometre season is to qualify for the jungold, silver and bronze at the pursuit – I had a great race and ior worlds. She captured three Haywood Ski Nationals – Caneverything came together. It was bronze medals at the Haywood ada’s cross-country championmy first race at the Olympics Nationals in March. ships – in March. Those results and everything about that race “I hurt my ankle a bit before put him second in the aggregate was so memorable.” … and I wasn’t sure how it standings for open men. Emily teamed up with Beatty would play out,” said Hanthorn. Last year he became the first to win gold in the open women’s “I didn’t have any expectations. Yukon male to compete at the team sprint at the nationals. She I wanted to just go there, have Nordic World Ski Championalso won a gold and silver in infun and race my heart out.” ships. dividual races and placed second Two other Whitehorse skiers “Lots has been going on and in aggregate open women. have been recognized by Cross happening pretty fast, but I’m Last season Emily was the Country Canada recently. super excited about guiding and Caelan McLean and Marcus moving forward,” said Graham, first female from the territory to reach the world championship Deuling have been named to who is one of two guides for Canada’s National Talent Squad, McKeever. “I’ll still be in the ski since 1997. “I have some big goals in which identifies up-and-comers scene so it’s a great situation. between the ages of 15 and 18. I’m happy to help Brian do what mind for this coming season,” McLean and Marcus were on he does, to keep winning races.” said Emily. “I’ve had these great opportunities to get experience Emily and Beatty were the Yukon Ski Team last winter. at the world championships and nominated to the senior deMcLean won a gold and placed velopment team and the Alberta the Olympics now and I’m really third in junior boys aggregate at looking to improve on those World Cup Academy in Canthe Haywood Nationals. results internationally – specifmore last week. “It’s great that we still have ically to get some top-30 results Next season will be Emily’s athletes from the Yukon being on the world cup this year.” fourth straight on the team. named to the national team,” Beatty has skied for the na“It’s an honour to get on the said Yukon Ski Team head coach national team,” said Emily. “I’m tional junior team the last four Alain Masson. “It’s nice to see seasons and will be in her first as really happy about it.” we have some young up-anda senior skier next season. Emily was the first Yukon coming athletes who are knockThe 20-year-old, who has cross-country skier to compete ing on the door to national Mike Thomas/Yukon News competed at three junior world at the Olympics since 1992 this teams. It looks good for the next championships, was nominated Whitehorse’s Annah Hanthorn skis in the Marsh Lake past February in Sochi. She led few years.” the Canadian team in two races for the development team’s new Loppet in 2012. Hanthorn has been named to the Contact Tom Patrick at national junior team. tomp@yukon-news.com in Sochi, topping out with a under-23 subcategory. News Reporter
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