Whitehorse Daily Star

Beatty crashes into 29th in Dresden

Canada’s Dahria Beatty will take a lot of positives from a crash and a 29th place finish in last Saturday’s World Cup skate-ski sprint race on the streets of Dresden, Germany.

By Whitehorse Star on January 17, 2020

Canada’s Dahria Beatty will take a lot of positives from a crash and a 29th place finish in last Saturday’s World Cup skate-ski sprint race on the streets of Dresden, Germany.

“It was disappointing to crash in my quarter-final heat, but that is part of the game,” said Beatty, who was 16th in Dresden one year ago. “I wasn’t sure how I would feel after traveling to Europe just two days ago, but it worked out well today. I was really happy to get into the heats again.”

The Whitehorse Olympian set out in the 2019-20 season with a goal to be more consistent, and she is definitely doing that.

The 25-year-old qualified for the head-to-head heats with the top-30 athletes for the third straight time after clocking the 22nd quickest time in her two trips around the 650-metre track covered in artificial snow through the German city.

“My qualifier was pretty solid. I felt better on the second lap and was able to finish strong,” added Beatty, who was the lone Canadian to punch a ticket for the head-to-head clash. The top-two athletes in each heat move on to the next round.

Feeling strong and confident, Beatty’s day came to an end early in the round of 30.

“I just caught an edge and fell on the first corner after the downhill,” said Beatty. “Once I got up, I was out of contention. It is not what I was hoping for today. The atmosphere in Dresden is so great. I was still feeling good and I always enjoy racing here. But I will take those good feelings into tomorrow’s team sprint and focus on staying on my feet.”

Sweden’s Linn Svahn won the women’s race. Slovenia’s Anamarija Lampic was second. Maja Dahlqvist, also of Sweden, snagged the bronze medal.

On Sunday in Dresden, Beatty and Katherine Stewart-Jones, from Gatineau, Que. joined forces for the skate-ski team sprint race where they finished in 11th place.

In the team sprint, athletes each ski three laps, handing off to their teammate after completing the 1.3-kilometre leg.

The Canadians skied a strong semifinal heat, taking the early lead, but when all was said and done, ended up in third following a photo finish.

The top-two teams in each of the two heats advance to the finals along with the next six fastest times overall. The Canadians were edged off the start line following a second lightning-quick heat which qualified eight other teams ahead of them.

Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist and Linn Svahn won the women’s team sprint. Switzerland’s Laurien Van Der Graaff and Nadine Faehndrich skied to the silver medal, while another Swedish women’s team of Evelina Settlin and Linn Soemskar were third.

British Columbia’s Katie Weaver and Maya MacIsaac-Jones (Athabasca, Alta.) were 25th.

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