XC Files

Only a few weeks into summer and Canberra Nordic skiers Katie Calder and Christy Dowling are already thinking about winter.  Both have been selected to compete at the World Junior Nordic Ski Championships next January.  But for Christy and Katie there is more to this year’s championships than just competing.  “Its in Slovakia” explains Christy, “I’ve heard a few bad stories about it but I think it just makes it all the more exiting.  I think it’ll be a great cultural experience, very different to where I’ve been before”.  For somebody who raced in Sweden before the age of 18 this is a big statement.

After dominating the junior races in Australia’s domestic season both skiers are looking forward to the championships, a culmination of a years work.  Katie represented Australia at last years world juniors in Austria and is looking forward to making amends for a hindered campaign last year.  “I got a bit psyched out last year so it’ll be good to go back knowing what to expect”.  For Christy it will be her first World Championships and she is realistic when it comes to her goals.  “I just want to be able to come home and say that I raced as fast as I could.  So many people come home from worlds unhappy about their form, if I race fast I’ll be happy no matter whether I win or come last”.

There certainly seems to be a new mood in the Australian Nordic Ski team, a change both skiers attribute to new national head coach Finn Marsland.  “He knows a lot about where we’re going” explains Katie,  “he’s been there before and he knows a lot of people, plus he has been on plenty of Australian teams so he knows the problems that the athletes have had in the past.  He’s organised and really committed to the job.”  This organisation has resulted in a hectic schedule for the junior team.  “We head to Canada first for about 5 weeks, then over to Ramsau Austria for altitude training. We head to Slovakia just before the championships, I don’t think we want to spend all that long there.”

A new addition to the World Junior Championships this year is a sprint event.  The skiers race a time trial over a 1.5km course to decide the 32 finalists who race in heats of 4 with the top 2 skiers advancing.  “Its really exciting” says Christy who posted the quickest time in the sprint relays at this years Australian National Championships.  Both girls agree that the sprints are what the sport needs; a blast of fresh air for the Nordic scene dominated for too long by events that were difficult to make into a good spectator sport.  The popularity of head to head cross-country ski events was first seen at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics when the men’s relay attracted the more spectators than the alpine events.

Both skiers have made big sacrifices this year in order to be in their best shape for the European winter.  “We’re fit enough,” says Katie, “Its just that we have to ski faster than we can in Australia.  The snow is a lot quicker and the skiing is faster, simple as that.  For ages we just thought that we had to be fitter to beat the Europeans but we have forgotten that you have to learn to ski fast as well.”

With realistic goals and a solid winter of training behind them Katie and Christy look set to post some of Australia’s best World Junior results to date.

XC is the official website of the Skiing Australia Cross Country Committee. It is produced with the assistance of the Australian Sports Commission, and the Kangaroo Hoppet. The editor can be contacted via hoppet@netc.net.au.