Yukoner Graham Nishikawa, a member of the Canadian Cross Country Ski Team, added some more lines to his already impressive resume this past weekend by qualifying for World Cup races.

Nishikawa started the weekend in Canmore with a hard fought 1.2 kilometre sprint race that saw him knocked out in the quarter final, a disappointing finish for a guy who has always been known as a strong sprinter.

'There was basically three of us diving for the line at once, and it came down to a photo finish,' noted Nishikawa.

Not to be deterred, he moved on to the 15 km classic technique distance race Sunday.

He was lagging with a few kilometres to go, but put on a strong finish and came in ninth overall, and was the seventh Canadian, with a time of 44:38.

Competition in the Canmore races was intense, as racers from around the country and around the world used them as a tune-up for the upcoming World Cup series. Nishikawa's performance was enough for the national team to give him the nod for the World Cup team.

World Cup races are the 'crme de la crme', almost akin to an Olympics. And this year, in preparation for the 2010 Olympics, Canada has been granted permission to host two sets of World Cup races, in Sovereign Lakes and in Canmore. These will be the first World Cup races held in Canada since 1995.

Nishikawa's first challenge will be a grueling 30 km duathlon next Saturday, at Sovereign Lakes, followed by a sprint race the day after. The World Cup series then moves on to Canmore the week after that for two more races.

The races will be the toughest competition Nishikawa has faced in his life, but the Yukoner feels up to it.

Yukon Coach Alain Masson noted, 'Graham goes after challenge after challenge and continues to improve.'