Devon Kershaw
Devon Kershaw ( born December 20, 1982 in Greater Sudbury ) is a Canadian cross-country skier.
Life and career
Kershaw was in its infancy as most Canadian boys avid hockey player. But he also discovered early his talent for Nordic skiing and began to exercise regularly and to participate in national competitions. His first international competition, he played at the Junior World Championships in 2000 in Štrbské Pleso, where, however, he was able to place only in the rear box is. His best result at World Junior Championships he reached 2002 Schonach as he could occupy the 25th place in the sprint. A year later, he was, without being previously started at an international competition in the senior class, nominated for the Nordic World Ski Championships 2003. There he reached the 60th place in the sprint competition as the best placement.
His first World Cup competition played Kershaw in the 2004 season in Drammen. During the sprint in classical technique, it was enough, but only for the 67th place among 72 starters. In the following years it became clear more and more that Kershaw could succeed in the world top in sprint competitions the jump. In the season 2004/ 05 he succeeded for the first time with 25th place in Reit im Winkl in the sprint to win World Cup points in the classical technique. This result he could improve in Lahti 17th place yet. In the Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 in Oberstdorf, he secured the 14th place in the sprint competition. In the team sprint, he succeeded with his partner George Grey to fight for sixth place. At the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin but he disappointed and could not qualify for the finals as the 37th in the sprint. In the team sprint, it was enough for Kershaw and Grey only for the eleventh place. Just two weeks later at the World Cup in Borlänge, he moved for the first time in the finals of a sprint competition and came surprisingly in third place. This was the best result by a Canadian Skilangläufers for 15 years. This result he could improve in Munich a year later in sprint of the Tour de Ski 2006/2007 by one rank. Since both the winner Christoph Eigenmann of Switzerland and Kershaw Tour de Ski not finished, however, he lost the World Cup points for this competition. In the Nordic World Ski Championships 2007, he missed the finals again the best 30 athletes. In the team sprint, he once again took sixth place with Drew Goldsack.
In the 2007 /08 season, Kershaw was able to place in sprint competitions several times among the top ten. But it also succeeded for the first time in distance races in the advanced world leaders to advance. His best result was the twelfth place about 30 km freestyle in Rybinsk. He finished the season with a 39th place in the overall World Cup, 30th place in the Sprint Cup and 37th in the World Cup distance. That he had greatly improved over longer distances, he also proved at the beginning of the 2008/09 season, when he was able to prove 5th place over a distance of 15 km classic in Kuusamo. This was the best result since more than ten years, which could achieve a Canadian cross-country skier in a distance race. After another good results, including a seventh place about 50 km classic ( mass start ) in Trondheim, he finished the season with the 18th place in the overall World Cup. In the ranking of the distance races, he finished in 14th place. However, these achievements he could not confirm at the Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec. In pursuit competition, he finished only 27th place. About 15 km classic it was even just 37 Together with George Grey he won ninth place in the team sprint. With the Canadian season he finished fifth.
At the Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in Oslo Kershaw won with Alex Harvey the gold medal in the team sprint.