One of the values of the 2019 Canada Games is, “Inclusive – Everybody’s in”. The cross-country ski team relays were a great example of that, with mixed gender relay teams, unofficial teams composed of skiers from different provinces/territories and Para-Nordic competitors racing with their able-bodied counterparts. The racers alternated between male and female teammates, for the four, 5 km. laps.

Mother Nature even co-operated. The race can’t start below -20 deg. C., and the thermometer crept up to -19.5 deg., by the delayed, race start time.

Despite the temperature, B.C. was again on fire, on the course.  Gatineau, Quebec’s, Antoine Cyr led his team through the first 5k lap in 1^st place. They had a 40 second lead over the Yukon, with Alberta and B.C. skiing together, 7 seconds behind.

On the second lap the Yukon had moved into first, following an excellent leg by Whitehorse’s Natalie Hynes, who had picked almost a minute on Quebec. BC and Alberta were tied, 26 seconds back off the lead.

On lap 3, Rossland, B.C.’s Remi Drolet crushed the field, tagging off to his sister Jasmine, in first place. He was 33 seconds ahead of Alberta, who were tied for second with Quebec.

The final lap saw the second gold in a row for B.C., and the Drolet siblings, as Jasmine cruised across the finish line in first. Joining the Drolets on the podium were Tallon Noble of Courtenay and Elizabeth Elliott of Revelstoke.

Remi Drolet “Today was an awesome race, I felt really good. It was so much fun to ski with all of my teammates, it was one of the races I was most looking forward to all week’”

The race for silver and bronze was a bit of a cat and mouse game as Anna Pryce of Canmore, Alberta and Laura Leclair of Chelsea, Quebec dueled it out over the final five kilometres. It was the more experienced Leclair who prevailed at the finish, to collect her 4^th medal of the Games. It was another silver, to add to her gold and bronze.

That wraps up the Cross-Country Ski events for 2019. The event ran superbly, thanks to the fantastic volunteer crew that really delivered in challenging weather conditions. Most of the athletes will reconvene in a little over a week at the Canadian Ski Championships at Nakkertok Ski Club, in Gatineau, Quebec.