Canada’s top 4 cross-country skiers

The scoop on our Olympic contenders

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The skinny on Canada's Olympic hopefuls

In February 2011, Canada’s Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw stunned the cross-country-ski world—and probably the entire country of Norway—when they narrowly defeated the heavily favoured Norwegians in their own backyard in the team- sprint event at the 2011 World Championships in Oslo. With their victory, Harvey and Kershaw confirmed that for the first time in almost two decades, Canada’s XC-ski team no longer has to rely solely on the women athletes to get to the podium. Here’s a look at Canada’s cross-country prospects for the upcoming season.

Alex Harvey

Hometown: St.-Ferreol, Quebec
Age: 23
Podium odds: 1:1

Harvey boasts an excellent cross-country-skiing pedigree—his father Pierre Harvey was the first Canuck male to win a World Cup medal back in 1987. As a junior, Harvey racked up very impressive results, leading to predictions that he could be the best skier Canada has ever produced. His World Championship gold in Norway last season and his gold in the pursuit event at the 2011 Under-23 World Championships are promising signs that Harvey can live up to his earlier success. Expect to see him on the podium once again with Kershaw in the relays, but this season he seems ready to take an individual World Cup medal in one of the sprint distances.