It was a busy weekend for Yukon cross country skiers both nationally and internationally. On home soil, members of the cross country ski team were in Whistler for the 2020 Haywood Western Canada Cup.

Across the Atlantic, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Derek Deuling and Sasha Masson completed their races at the Youth Olympic Games.

Let’s begin in Whistler, where several Yukon skiers were racing. It was a busy three days of competition. The athletes vied in a sprint, classic interval and mass start races, as well, the younger races teamed up for relays.

Cross Country Yukon coach Alain Masson said it was a great weekend of races.

“Everyone did very well and had great results,” said Masson.

Westerns had 350 skiers, according to Masson and took place at the same venue used for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

“It was challenging courses designed for Olympians,” said Masson. “It’s really hard and technical. The climbs are longer and steeper. There was lots of snow and it was an awesome experience for the kids.”

The skiers put up great results ranging from first to 19th place. Masson said having those results are great but the ski team is less focused on the results and more on the process of competing.

“Many people skied the best they could in at least one event,” said Masson.

“They did the best they could that day. We avoid basing it on outcome but are more focused on the process.

“We want to see their best preparations and see the best they can that day, mentally, physically and emotionally.”

The Green Squad, U14s, had 11 skiers in Whistler and Masson said they showed well.

“They did quite well,” said Masson. “They don’t travel much and this was their first opportunity. It gets them prepped because they’re the future. It was a good weekend with good learning opportunities.”

One such learning opportunity came on Sunday when they had to cope with rain, something Masson said, they don’t have to deal with while training in Whitehorse.

“It taught them to deal with other conditions,” said Masson. “You need the ability to cope and change technique. It’s part of the sport.

“You need to be tough mentally and have good coping skills because you are outside and exposed to the conditions.”

Masson said the older and younger skiers found positives in every race they had.

“Regardless of how they raced they found positive things to take away,” said Masson. “That’s how we get better. We focus on that and reflect. This was a great group to be around. They had positive energy.”

Reflecting after a race is something Masson said is important.

“You want to make progress,” said Masson. “In any sport you reflect on the good and the bad. You make changes on how you approach training and determine what needs to be done to maximize skills.”

For all the skiers, Masson said events like the Haywood Western Cup are good for motivation because the skiers get to see the older athletes compete.

“These races inspire passion,” said Masson. “The younger ones see the speed of the open men and women and it’s an eye-opener. It’s up to the individual to get there.”

Top five finishers during the Sunday sprint races in Whistler were Amanda Thomson, fourth, Victor Emile-Thibeault, second, Sonjaa Schmidt, first and Kate Mason, fourth.

Skiers in the top five during Saturday’s interval start class: Thomson, first, and Emily Nishikawa, first.

Schmidt, Sophia Giangrande, Felix Masson and Chyenne Tirschmann all had top 10 finishes in their respective age groups.

Sunday featured at 15-kilometre mass start race as well as relays for U14 and U18 skiers.

Nishikawa skied to another first-place finish in the senior women’s category. Thomson, fourth and Schmidt, sixth had top 10 finishes in the U20 women’s race. Emile-Thibeault finished seventh in the U20 men’s race.

In the U14 boys’ relay, Yukon Do It, consisting of Felix Masson, Simon Connell and Daniel Phillips-Freedman came third.

The U14 girls’ team Yukon Rapids, featuring Sophie Molgat, Tirschmann and Tess Cairns-McDowell came fifth.

Deuling and Sasha Masson had their first race in Lausanne. Competing in the sprint race, Deuling came in 18th and Sasha came in 38th.

In cross country cross free, a race featuring jumps, Sasha came in 38th and Deuling 44th.

In there final race, a 10-kilometre classic race, Deuling once again found himself in 18th and Sasha came in 47th.

The 10-kilometre classic race was the Yukon duo’s final race of the Youth Olympic Games.

In a joint note, the two wrote:

“Racing in a foreign country is a crazy opportunity and is a whole different experience with cowbells and hundreds of fans, cheering us on.

“The ski venue has amazing views of the Alps and we are racing close to cows.

“Today’s race was a great learning experience, we are excited to give it our best in the coming few races.

“We are staying at the athlete’s village that is incredibly stunning and diverse. We stay with hundreds of keen high-performance athletes from many different countries.

“We have met and made many new friends from various different countries.

“Today we met a fan from the Yukon. He is a Swiss/Yukoner that came to the race site. He had a flag and cheered very loudly for both of us.

“We love representing our beautiful nation that we get to call home.

Thank you to all the people that have and are supporting us!”