By Canadian Press

Canadian skier Alex Harvey finishes 10th in World Cup cross-country sprint

Mar 22, 2019 | 2:45 PM

QUEBEC — Canadian cross-country legend Alex Harvey was held off the podium in one of the last races of his storied career, finishing 10th at an FIS World Cup sprint race Friday.

Norway’s Johannes Klaebo edged out Italian Federico Pellegrino and fellow Norwegian Sindre Skar in the in the 1,650-metre race held on the Plains of Abraham, with a brisk wind and light snow. The victory secured the FIS sprint championship for the 22-year-old Klaebo.

The 30-year-old Harvey, from Saint-Ferreol-les-Neiges, just east of Quebec’s capital, missed a spot in the six-skier final heat by less than one second.

Harvey announced his retirement from competition last month, brining a close to a career that saw him pile up five world championship medals, including two gold, and 30 World Cup podium appearances.

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The pinnacle of his career came two years ago when he won the punishing 50k marathon world title in Finland. A month later, he won the World Cup sprint at home.

Last year he came fourth in the 50k at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, a missed podium that he said later was emotional point in his career “without the happy ending.”

Harvey is expected to compete in Saturday’s 15-km mass start race and Sunday’s 15k freestyle pursuit. A large hometown crowd is likely to be on hand to cheer on and thank Harvey, arguably Canada’s all-time top cross-country skier.

The women’s sprint race was an all-Swedish affair on the podium. Twenty-five-year-old Stina Nilsson edged Maja Dahlqvist at the finish line, with Jonna Sundling just behind.

No Canadian women made the cut for the 30-skier heats. The top Canadian finisher was Dahria Beatty, of Whitehorse, 41st in a field of 75. Katherine Stewart-Jones, of Chelsea, Que., finished 44th.

Peter Black, The Canadian Press