Canada’s men’s cross-country team undone by wax job

The promise of Canada's men's cross-country team is slipping away at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and it may be because of a poor wax job.

There were complaints after the men's 15-kilometre race Friday that the wax applied to the Canadian skis was not the right type for the soft and slushy snow on the course at the Laura Cross-Country Centre. There are as many as 500 different types of wax blends that, when done right, marry themselves to the snow conditions.

There was certainly a challenge for the wax technicians on Friday. Some racers compared the cross-country race to being in a sauna. The temperature was 11 Celsius at the start, and as the competition progressed, skiiers were tearing their arm sleeves off and dumping water over their heads.

Whatever wax blend the Canadian men used, it did not work. Devon Kershaw of Sudbury, Ont., was the top finisher, 35th, and Ivan Babikov, the Russian transplant who lives in Canmore, Alta., was 39th. Graeme Killick of Fort McMurray, Alta., was 65th. Alex Harvey of St-Ferrol des Neiges, Que., did not finish the race, dropping out after about 10 kilometres.

A Canadian man has never won a medal in cross-country skiing.

"Obviously it’s tough when the equipment is not there," said Kershaw, "but I have a lot of experience and you just have to keep fighting through it."

Harvey, the son of Pierre Harvey, who represented Canada in cycling and cross-country skiing at the Olympics, may have been the biggest disappointment. He won a bronze in the individual sprint at last year's world championships and paired with Kershaw for gold in the team sprint at the 2011 worlds. At times on Friday, Harvey said he could hardly move.

"I said to myself, 'It’s no use, I’m losing too much time in the downhill segments. I won’t have a good result today.' So I bailed."

Canada has eight wax technicians.

“They are human, too, they make mistakes, too, and I guess today they made a mistake,” Harvey told The Globe and Mail.

At the unveiling of the cross-country team last month, Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth said he would be disappointed if Canada didn't win at least two medals and wondered aloud if four wasn't a possibility. On Friday, he was left hoping the wax technicians can get their mixture sorted out before this weekend's relay events, where Canada also has medal chances.