Cendrine Browne set a new Canadian Olympic record by finishing 16th in the women’s 30-kilometre cross-country ski race in the free technique in Beijing.
Browne, of Prévost, Que., wrapped up her second Olympics by having the race of her life on one of the most challenging Nordic courses in the world, clocking a time of 1:31:21.6.
“This feels amazing to finish the Olympics on such a high note. I’m beyond happy,” beamed Browne following her second top-20 finish of the Beijing Games.
Canada’s previous best women’s finish in the 30-kilometre Nordic distance race came at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games when Lucy Steele was 33rd.
The 28-year-old Browne maintained a steady pace throughout the four grueling laps that featured long, steep climbs and gusty conditions at the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country skiing Centre.
“I’m really happy with how I was able to manage my energy and keep my energy until the last lap.When there was an attack, I was able to follow today,” added Browne, who climbed 13 spots up the standings in her final 7.5 kilometres. “Wow, what an epic race. It was so tough out here today.”
Norway’s Therese Johaug led wire-to-wire, dusting the women’s field with a time of 1:24:54.0. Jessie Diggins, of the United States, celebrated the silver medal with a time of 1:26:37.3. Kerttu Niskanen, of Finland, skied to the bronze medal in a time of 1:27:27.3.
Katherine Stewart-Jones also skied into the top-30 for the second time in Beijing. The Chelsea, Que. skier clocked-in at 1:32:33.3.
“It was a tough race with really windy conditions, and a tough course, but I’m proud of how hard I pushed,” said Stewart-Jones, who was competing in her first Olympic Games. “Obviously I am a little disappointed because I was skiing in a group from 17th to 30th place. I was hoping to have more energy in the last lap, but I wasn’t able to hold on. I did the best I could with the energy I had today.”
Dahria Beatty (Whitehorse) wrapped up her second Olympics with a 39th place finish on Sunday, and a time of 1:36:08.2.
“It was an awesome experience,” said Beatty, who was 18th earlier in the week in the 10-kilometre individual start. “I’m happy to have had some really strong results across the board. To have the entire team have strong performances, it was an awesome Games to be a part of.”
Laura Leclair (Chelsea, Que.) placed 51st with a time of 1:40:14.5.
“It was definitely hard, mentally and physically,” said Leclair. “The conditions and course were really hard, but I skied smart. I lost the pack at the start but stayed there to conserve my energy throughout the race.”
Complete Results: https://bit.ly/34S0ZxK
