Natalie Wilkie was close to the front of the pack at the end of the classic sprint race at the Para-Nordic World Cup season opener in Canmore. She impressed her team Canada coaches and teammates with a fourth-place finish in her first ever World Cup race.
Wilkie was one of three Canadians in the sprint finals, starting the race alongside Emily Young from Vancouver and Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
On the steep climb out of the Stadium Wilkie caught up to Young, but could not pass her teammate who finished with a bronze medal.
Eakaterina Rumyantseva and Anna Milenina climbed the podium ahead of Young while Hudak placed fifth.
Update 5:30 p.m. Dec. 10:
Wilkie picked up a second fourth-place finish at the Para-Nordic World Cup in Canmore.
In the 7.5 kilometre skate-skiing race Wilkie had a similar result to Yesterday’s classic sprint finishing fourth immediately behind Emily Young of Vancouver.
