BY ROBERT MURRAY – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Since 2010, each discipline in the Winter Olympic program has undergone significant change. With less than one year to go until the 2014 Games, I’ll be taking a look at what to expect from Canada and the rest of the world in Sochi. Today I take a look at cross country skiing.
What happened in 2010?: Unsurprisingly, Norway and Sweden dominated. The neighbouring nations took home eight gold medals and 16 total medals between the two nations. Norwegian Petter Northug and Swede Johan Olsson were the stars on the men’s side while Marit Bjørgen added three goal medals to her total. Polish skier Justyna Kowalczyk won a medal of each colour. Canada was shutout in the discipline for the first time since 1998.
What has changed?: Two words: Dario Cologna. The Swiss skier won himself a Gold medal in the 15km event in Vancouver, his nation’s only medal in the discipline. Since 2009, he has won three overall World Cup titles and is well on his way to his fourth in five years.
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On the Women’s side, Kowalczyk and Bjørgen have been in a constant battle since before the 2010 Olympics began. They have swapped back and forth between first and second for several years. Sochi will be just another battleground for these two and should provide a great show to fans of cross country skiing.
What Canadians should I watch?: Devon Kershaw. Back in 2003, a 21-year-old Kershaw finished 55th out of 67 skiers in his World Championship debut. Ten years later, Kershaw is now a World Champion with teammate Alex Harvey. Kershaw finished second in the Overall World Cup last year and had two top-five finishes in Vancouver. Now is his time.
The last time Canada had a female cross country skier in the top 20 after a full season of racing was back in 2006 when Beckie Scott and Sara Renner finished second and tenth respectively. 2006 Olympic Gold medalist Chandra Crawford has the winner’s pedigree and can compete with the best.
Who could spoil the show?: In 2008, Lukas Bauer won the overall World Cup title. Since then, he has bounced around to varying degrees of success. With Sochi serving as his fifth Olympics, the 37 year-old will be hungry to add a Gold medal to his silver and two bronze.
Anio-Kaisa Saarinen of Finland captured two bronze medals at the 2010 Olympics and despite being 35, she remains on the outside looking in. Katrin Zeller won her first Olympic medal in 2010 and can be counted on to contend for the Germans in Sochi.
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