Thunder Bay National Team Development Center skiers showed their form at top level European events this past week, putting up strong results at national cross-country skiing events in Germany and Switzerland.
NTDC rookie Graham Ritchie followed up his 12th place finish at World Junior Championships with a podium at German Championships, finishing 2nd in Junior Men and 7th Overall in the 15km skate mass start on Sunday. Ritchie was closely followed by NTDC veteran Bob Thompson, who finished 10th on Sunday as well as 4th in Friday’s classic sprint. Thompson’s strong results have earned him a spot on Canada’s team at international races in China this March, as part of promotional events for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
On the women’s side, National Ski Team athlete Katherine Stewart-Jones led the NTDC skiers with solid results, finishing 8th in all three events at German Championships, closely behind Germany’s top national team athletes. Stewart-Jones was following impressive results from her previous weekend of competition in Switzerland, where she won both races at a Swiss National Cup event in Klosters.
NTDC athletes will now turn their attention to the Canadian National Championships to be held here in Thunder Bay, where they will host the country’s best skiers at the Lappe Nordic Center from March 10 to 17.
