5 Yukoners heading to world cross-country ski championships in Italy

Graham Nishikawa, head coach of Cross Country Yukon, says it's always fierce competition for young athletes to be named to Canada's national team for the world junior and under-23 championships.

So the fact that a significant chunk of this year's team is from the Yukon, he says, is "amazing."

"It's such an accomplishment to make that team and to have five Yukoners," he said.

Yukoners Minty Bradford and Constance Lapointe are among the 11 young athletes named to Canada's world junior championship team, while Sasha Masson, Derek Deuling and Sonjaa Schmidt were among the 12 named to the U23 team. Alain Masson is joining them as a wax technician.

The championships are happening Schilpario, Italy, from Friday until Feb. 10. 

Deuling and Schmidt also competed at the the world championships last year. Schmidt made history as the first Canadian woman to win gold at the event, and Deuling was part of the gold medal-winning team in the mixed relay event.

"They're definitely experienced and ready to perform at that top level," said Nishikawa, about Deuling and Schmidt's prospects at this year's event.

He said Lapointe will also be someone to watch in the junior championships, which he calls the "marquee event for under-20 skiers."

"She has some experience already, so she'll be looking for strong results," he said.

And Bradford, 16, will be one of the youngest to compete.

"It's quite rare for someone this young to make the team," said Nishikawa. "So she's there definitely for experience, but she's definitely proved herself already."

Bradford represented Canada at the 2024 Youth Olympics in South Korea and she says that was her first opportunity to compete in a big international event.

"I got to meet so many new people from across the world that ski just the same as I do. And so that was really eye-opening for me, to see the level that I can work towards," she recalled.

Bradford says making the junior national team was "a really happy moment," especially as she and Lapointe were together when they each found out they made the grade.

"It was really fun to be able to be in that moment together," said Bradford. "I have just been working towards this goal all year.

"I'm really just gonna go in and look at it as a learning opportunity.... I really want to just learn how international racing works on such a big stage, and have a really positive race experience."