Five Yukon skiers have returned home after competing in the World Junior/ U23 Cross Country Skiing

Championships in Erzurum, Turkey.

Canada was represented by 16 skiers at the world championships, with five members of the nation's team coming from the territory, a record setting number.

"That's something we've never seen before and we may never see again,” said Alain Masson, coach of the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club.

"It was by far the most athletes we've had at a championship. I think the most we've had before that was two.

"It was great for the Yukon skiers to have so many of their local skiers at one event, it was a very special opportunity and something that only happens once in a lifetime.

"I was very lucky to be a part of it.”

The skiers were faced with several challenges on the trail. The races were held at an elevation of 1,800-metres, a factor that considerably slowed the team, said Janelle Greer.

"It was tough,” she said of racing in the high-altitude. "We're not used to that so it took us a bit longer to recover between races.”

A break between the World Cup circuits also made for a stronger field of competition than in year's past.

"Usually these championships take place a month earlier in January and that conflicts with the World Cup calendar, so this time around many more of the top skiers from around the world came to compete,” said Masson.

David Greer noticed the influx of talent.

"All of the best U23 racers were there,” he said. "The top three guys in my category all placed in the top 10 in the world cup the week before. It was nice to compete against some of the best guys in the world, though.”

The Whitehorse women were particularly strong on the slopes, with Emily Nishikawa turning in the best performance of any Canadian female in the competition.

"That was definitely a highlight,” she said of placing 17th in the U23 distance race.

"I was really happy with that race and how things went overall. It was a great experience.”

The team also received an excellent showing from Dahria Beatty who was the top Canadian in the junior category, finishing 25th overall, in the classic technique distance races.

"Dahria was great,” said Mason. "That was the best placing she's ever had at a world junior event.”

Janelle Greer also had a solid performance, advancing past the qualifiers and finishing 28th overall in the junior sprint races.

"I didn't quite get the results I wanted going into it but with the different ski conditions and the altitude and all factors considered I was happy with my racing and how everything went,” she said.

Janelle said she was aiming for a top 20 finish and came close to that goal, finishing 28th overall in the both the sprint and distance races.

It was Janelle's third time competing in the worlds and she was hoping her experience would give her a slight edge against the competition.

"This time I was the oldest in the junior category and thought it would be an advantage,” she said. "But I was surprised by how fast the younger skiers were.”

On the men's side, both David Greer and Knute Johnsgaard were slowed by illness.

Johnsgaard, who was recovering from a stomach bug, had to spend time in the hospital to address the illness.

"I didn't know what to expect but I certainly didn't expect to spend my time in a hospital bed leading up to the races,” he said. "It was just unfortunate timing.”

Johnsgaard said he had to lower his expectations after contracting the illness but had a philosophical approach to the experience.

"I went from wanting top 20 finishes to just hoping I was able to compete. I was disappointed with my races but now I have a world championship under my belt and I think I can only benefit from this experience.”

David was not a hundred per cent healthy during the races but he still enjoyed the opportunity to compete against some of the best in the world.

David was sidelined by illness for large portions of the last two seasons and this year he was able to avoid any major setbacks.

"Just being able to stay healthy this year made a lot of difference,” he said. "I was able to have some strong races and I'm happy with how the season has gone so far.”

The athletes will now switch their focus to the Canadian Cross-Country Championships, which are being held at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, from March 17-24.

Over 600 athletes will be competing in five races during the seven-day event.

Masson is hoping the Yukon skiers will be some of the best in the field.

"We've had amazing results in the past and we're hoping for lots of medals again,” he said.

"We have competed at that venue before and we had some of our best results ever so we're hoping to do that again.”

The athletes will face some of the best skiers from across the nation, in addition to American and European competition.