A year ago, Devon Kershaw was on top of the world.
Stringing together unreal results, he medalled in three World Cup events after finishing fourth overall in Europe’s Tour de Ski en route to the best season in Canadian men’s cross-country ski history.
But this year, he slipped back to 12th on the Tour and is still missing the “extra gear” which powered him to victory so often in 2012. While coach Justin Wadsworth preaches patience as World Championships approach Canada wants to get the unofficial captain of its ski team back where he belongs – on the podium.
“It has been a challenging season thus far for me personally. I haven’t been racing or feeling up to my expectations – just feeling like I am missing that top gear, which I’ve come to expect over the last few seasons,” Kershaw wrote the Outlook from Europe.
Heading into the season, Kershaw said winning the Tour de Ski was an absolute goal of his, but a nagging ankle sprain, increased travel and missed camp due to Canadian World Cup races played a factor in missing his goal.
“The Tour was super disappointing for me, since I love it so much and the last bunch of seasons I’ve felt great there,” Kershaw said.
Athletes plan for various peaks and valleys during their season. For Kershaw, the Tour was supposed to be the first peak, followed by World Championships. Planning how to hit those peaks is left up to the coaching crew. Kershaw and Alex Harvey appeared tired during the Canmore World Cup races. Kershaw skipped the final race in his hometown.
In December, the majority of the Tour favourites trained at altitude in preparation for Europe, but Kershaw, Harvey, Len Valjas and Ivan Babikov were racing sprints in Quebec and Canmore. The rest of the Canadians had great results, as Valjas won two medals, Babikov won a silver in the Val Di Fiemme hill climb and Harvey was in the top six for four of the races.
But Kershaw said he wasn’t feeling 100 per cent for the big Tour, which included seven races in 10 days. “I wasn’t prepared for the event – with the Canadian World Cups (travelling back from Europe, the racing, missing our normal altitude camp, although I was thrilled to get the opportunity to race at home), and some mistakes I made in the autumn – it left me in a bit of hole starting the event. In an event like that, you cannot start from that place.”
He’s seeking redemption at the World Championships in five weeks’ time, where Harvey won the World Championship Team Sprint in 2011, shocking a Norweigan crowd. This year, the event takes place in Val Di Fiemme, where Kershaw had the best race of his season thus far in the final hill climb stage in the Tour. He said the stage was the best he’s felt all season, and a source of positive momentum he needs for the coming weeks.
“I need to get recovered completely. I took a very quiet week after the Tour de Ski – hanging out in Norway for six days – which was very relaxing and a lot of fun. I’ve just arrived to one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever skied (Praz de Lys, France), so some longer/easier training is needed to feel better in the body. I don’t expect to go on a tear like last year, but instead I look to stay patient and positive and slowly have better and better feelings over the next five weeks to feel ready to rock and roll for the World Championships.
He’ll have plenty of support, as Kershaw says the current group of teammates is Canada’s best in a while.
“Without question, it’s the strongest Canadian men’s World Championship team we’ve ever had,” Kershaw said. “It should be very exciting if everyone can stay healthy and if I can just find that last little gear I need to be competitive at the top of the results sheet. The relay this year could be pretty exciting – which is a dream of mine, to podium at a championship relay,” he said.
“Alex had a wonderful Tour with four races in the top six, Ivan has had his best start to the season ever and Lenny is ridiculously talented all around and kicking some serious butt out there,” he added.
If all goes to plan, he has two races for the upcoming championships in his sights: the four-by-10 km relay and the 50 km classic.
“I am looking forward to all of them, but the four-by-10 km – kind of the crown jewel of any championship – is the race I am most looking forward to. That and the 50 km classic. I have some unfinished business in that event after coming so close in the (Vancouver) Olympics and I won’t get another chance at redemption in a championship 50 km classic until the 2015 World Championship in Falun (The Olympic 50 km will be skate this time around),” Kershaw said.
