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Nishikawa, Harvey top Canadians in final 2018 Olympic races

Team Canada narrowly misses out on medal
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Whitehorse’s Emily Nishikawa was the top Canadian in the women’s 30-km mass start classic race. (Bob Nishikawa/Submitted)

Cross-country skiing at the Olympic Games wrapped up with the men’s 50-km and the women’s 30-km mass start classic races on Feb. 24 and 25 respectively.

Whitehorse’s Emily Nishikawa was the top Canadian in the women’s 30-km race, finishing in 30th position, 12 minutes and 14.1 seconds behind race winner Marit Bjoergen of Norway.

Bjoergen finished the race in a time of one hour, 22 minutes and 17.6 seconds.

Finland’s Krista Parmakoski won silver, crossing the finish line one minute and 49.5 seconds after Bjoergen.

Rounding out the podium, Stina Nilsson of Sweden was third after finishing one minute and 58.9 seconds behind Bjoergen.

Two other Canadians entered the race.

Cendrine Browne finished 43rd, 19 minutes and 6.3 seconds behind the winner, and Anne-Marie Comeau did not finish.

Earlier in the men’s race, Iivo Niskanen of Finland won gold after crossing the finish line in two hours, eight minutes and 22.1 seconds.

A pair of Olympic athletes from Russia, Alexander Bolshunov and Andrey Larkov, joined Niskanen on the podium.

Bolshunov finished second, 18.7 seconds behind Niskanen, and Larkov finished third, two minutes and 37.5 behind the Finn.

Alex Harvey was the top Canadian after finishing in fourth position, just 6.1 seconds behind Larkov for Bronze.

Other Canadians in the race were Devon Kershaw who finished 26th, Graeme Killick who finished 27th and Russell Kenney who finished 49th.

Next up for Team Canada’s cross-country skiers is the World Cup event in Lahti, Finland on March 3 and 4.

Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com

Men’s 50-km mass start classic results

1 Iivo Niskanen Finland 2:08:22.1

2 Alexander Bolshunov OAR 2:08:40.8 +18.7

3 Andrey Larkov OAR 2:10:59.6 +2:37.5

4 Alex Harvey Canada 2:11:05.7 +2:43.6

26 Devon Kershaw Canada 2:17:49.4 +9:27.3

27 Graeme Killick Canada 2:18:28.8 +10:06.7

49 Russell Kennedy Canada 2:25:16.6 +16:54.5

Women’s 30-km mass start classic results

1 Marit Bjoergen Norway 1:22:17.6

2 Krista Parmakoski Finland 1:24:07.1 +1:49.5

3 Stina Nilsson Sweden 1:24:16.5 +1:58.9

30 Emily Nishikawa Canada 1:34:31.7 +12:14.1

43 Cendrine Browne Canada 1:41:23.9 +19:06.3

DNF Anne-Marie Comeau Canada