Two athletes are competing in the Nordiq Canada Ski Nationals in Gatineau, Quebec and putting Williams Lake on the map in the process.
Sisters Nadia and Anika Wallin are racing in the cross country ski competition and their father Paul Wallin said other athletes have been coming up to them to ask where Williams Lake is after both earned silver medals in yesterday’s racing.
Nadia races in the U16 girls category and Anika in the U18 girls.
The snow conditions have made for some challenges for organizers and athletes, with a low snow pack requiring snow-making to keep the track covered and not enough snow to set classic tracks. Day one of racing was cancelled due to rain and low snow.
Race starts have also had to adjust, with no mass starts due to to the narrow track of snow. This means athletes are pushing themselves against the clock and not necessarily in relation to other skiers.
While Anika tends to be stronger in classic than skate skiing, she still made it to the second place finish in the skate sprints.
There are two more races for the sisters, with the results being compiled to determine national standings by Thursday, Mar. 14.
The sisters will be racing the evening of Mar. 12 in a 5 km skate sprint event. Paul Wallin said race information keeps changing as organizers deal with the conditions, but the plan so far is to also race a 7.5 km skate event. He said the track is covered in snow, but one athlete crashed on a corner and basically fell onto dirt.
He said B.C. skiers have been dominating the nationals so far, with our province’s athletes winning seven of the 12 medals on day one.
READ MORE: Williams Lake’s Wallin sisters win once again at Alberta Cup
Don’t miss out on reading the latest local, provincial and national news offered at the Williams LakeTribune. Sign up for our free newsletter here.
