麻豆社区

Wherever Graham and Emily Nishikawa compete these days, they are proud to be representing the Yukon.

The ski siblings spoke with the Star today from Val di Flemme, Italy, where they are competing at the World Nordic Ski Championships.

Graham, 29, and Emily, 23, are both members of the 11-athlete team representing Canada at the event 鈥� second only in significance to the Olympics.

Emily is the youngest member of the team.

"It's pretty amazing that we're both here together,鈥� Emily said of their world championship appointment. "We've helped each other with our careers so much along the way.鈥�

The two are part of a small, but proud, contingent from the territory at the championships. Coach Alain Masson is there to cheer on the Nishikawas, along with the skiers' parents.

"I'm always so proud to represent the Yukon,鈥� Emily said. "We feel tons of support, and we have such a good, young ski community there too.鈥�

Graham echoed her sentiments, saying the support he's felt over the years from the Yukon capital has been outstanding.

"It's an incredible town,鈥� he said.

Graham is the first male skier from the Yukon to make the world championship team. Emily is the first woman to compete since Lucy Steele in 1997.

Emily began her competition on Thursday, finishing 57th in a sprint race she admitted she was skiing as a warm-up.

Both Emily and Graham recovered from colds just prior to the world championships.

"I wasn't happy with my result, but I wasn't putting too much pressure on myself,鈥� she said.

Tomorrow, she will compete in a 15-km pursuit race, while Graham will compete in a 30-km race.

"This is my first world championship, so I'm just looking to put together a good race and pushing my hardest,鈥� Emily said. "It's pretty amazing to be here. There's nothing bigger than this other than the Olympics.鈥�

Both siblings said representing Canada at the world championships was high on their radar for this season.

"It's is one of the biggest accolades of my career,鈥� Graham admitted.

He said a breakthrough race at the World Cup in Canmore, Alta. last December proved to be a confidence-builder heading into the world championships.

There, Graham finished 15th in a 30-km skiathlon, finishing in a time of 1:18:09.6.

He's hoping for a repeat performance in tomorrow's race.

"If I've given everything, I'll be happy about that,鈥� he said.

The competition will continue until March 3.

Team Canada is buzzing with excitement after Quebec skier Alex Harvey picked up a bronze medal in a classic sprint on Thursday. Harvey's medal was just the third in

Canadian history to be won at the prestigious event.

The world championships is an opportunity for skiers to qualify for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

The premiere event on the cross-country skiing calendar every second year, the nordic festival features six different race distances in both classic and skate-ski disciplines.

Both Graham and Emily are members of the Canadian National Senior Development Team in Canmore, training with the Alberta World Cup Academy.

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Also in Italy, Whitehorse skier Lois Johnston has added another medal to her already-impressive collection at the Masters World Cup.

Johnston picked up a silver medal in the 30-km classic race today, tops among Canadians in the W7 division (females age 60 to 65).

The 60-year-old coach with Cross-Country Yukon has been competing all week in Asiago, and had previously won two gold and one bronze medal.

She will return home next week.