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Yukon cross country skiers Derek Deuling and Sasha Masson have wrapped up a very successful World Junior Championships. It was the first time the two Whitehorse skiers have skied in the event.

They had their first race at the 2022 World Juniors in Lygna, Norway Tuesday.

They had a strong outing, skiing into the top-20 of the 74-man field in a 30-kilometre mass start. Deuling battled to 17th spot and Masson punched the clock in 18th spot.

Wednesday, Masson helped the boys鈥� relay team secure 4th place at the World Junior Championships, Canada鈥檚 second-best ever finish at the event.

Deuling placed 19th for his second top-20 result, clocking a time of 27:47.3, in the men鈥檚 10-kilometre short distance classic-ski Friday.

The Star reached the two skiers, along with their coach, Alain Masson, Friday in Norway.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going pretty good, actually,鈥� stated the younger Masson.

鈥淥verall, Canadians are kind of whooping butt, so it鈥檚 going well.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 going great,鈥� added Deuling.

鈥淓verything we kind of wanted. And didn鈥檛 know we wanted.鈥�

Masson described how the week started off.

鈥淲e started off with a 30 k first day of competition. That was sort of a different kind of race for us, because normally we do a 30 k at the end of the Championships, so starting off with that is quite the interesting race, so that was pretty fun. Derek and I kind of skied together the whole time. He finished 17 and I finished 18th, so that was pretty fun, finishing 1-2 behind each other.

鈥淛ust a great experience. A lot of people out on the starting line and a lot of battling, so it ended up being really fun, and then we moved on to the next day where we had the relay.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a little hard after the 30 k 鈥� going out there and racing another five (k) at full pace, but super-fun to be pushing with the Canadian team and achieve the second-best World Junior result (ever), and then we moved on to the rest of the week. I鈥檒l let Derek describe it.鈥�

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 actually race the relay,鈥� said Dueling.

鈥淚 got to rest my legs an extra day for today (Friday), which was the 10 k Classic interval start, which was really cool to race ... I think there was 101 people starting, all under the age of 20, all really high-calibre athletes from around the world. So that was really cool to be part of that field. It went surprisingly well for me.

鈥淭he first lap, I wasn鈥檛 feeling 100 per cent, but I managed to turn around the second lap and get another top-20, so that was a pretty cool race for me, to be able to kind of switch like that and finish it strong.

鈥淢oving forward ... we will probably watch the U23s race the sprints and then the following day, we鈥檒l have a sprint course where Sasha will be starting. I鈥檓 not too sure if I鈥檒l be starting, but mostly, I think I鈥檒l be ready to race and if not, I鈥檒l be ready to cheer on Sasha and all the other Canadian guys and hopefully we can keep going on this kind of ... momentum. But it鈥檚 been a really great championships for Canada ... a lot of people have performed really well, so it鈥檚 been pretty cool to be a part of this,鈥� he added.

Masson said competing in their first World Junior Championships is 鈥減retty cool, to be honest. A little different with COVID and everything, but that鈥檚 the kind of the new world we鈥檙e in ... but it鈥檚 been awesome to be on the trip together. We鈥檝e been skiing together for quite a little while now, and I think it鈥檚 just a great experience. Really fun to be doing our international debut 鈥� I guess our second international debut 鈥� together. And it鈥檚 really fun to get some good results, because it鈥檚 always satisfying to see the work pay off.鈥�

When asked how they鈥檙e feeling now, Deuling replied, 鈥渨e鈥檙e a little tired, but I think all the other competitors are tired as well, so I think as long as we can keep our spirits high, just kind of keep having fun ... I think we鈥檙e lookin鈥� pretty good going into the weekend.

鈥淚鈥檓 not exactly sure if I鈥檓 going to race, so I鈥檓 just trying to keep a smile on my face and just be ready to go and if not, I鈥檒l just get Sasha ready to go; get him pumped up. It鈥檚 just fun to be here.鈥�

The last race for the Canadian team was the Sprint Freestyle 1.2 -kilometres on Sunday. Masson finished the qualifier for the final in 35th place. Deuling didn鈥檛 race in the 1.2 km Sprint.

The 1.2 km sounded a lot more appealing to the two then ending with a 30-kilometre race.

鈥淓xactly,鈥� said Masson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always more satisfying to just finish a 1.2 k and not be as shot as the 30 k.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty sweet course, so it should only take us roughly two minutes, which is pretty short for a sprint, so it鈥檚 gonna to be interesting to see how everyone does,鈥� added Deuling.

Coach Masson was asked what he thought of their success.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been great,鈥� he stated. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really good for the entire contingent. The Canadian team is having one of the better year in a long long time, if not one of the best in terms of number of top-10 and top-20 results. so it鈥檚 very exciting for the Yukon skiers, but exciting also for all the Canadian skiers who are here.鈥�

Not surprisingly, morale on the team was pretty high on Friday.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really good,鈥� stated the coach.

鈥淚t was great, the first day was a really good race, so it really set the stage for the team and put people in a really good mood with lots of confidence and expectations. So it鈥檚 very good and looking forward (to) two more days of racing ... sprints tomorrow and Sunday.鈥�

Masson explained what he attributed the team鈥檚 success to.

鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of good athletes coming up at the same time right now in the program, so many athletes have had success the last few years, so now that they have an opportunity to compete at the international level, they鈥檝e been able to demonstrate the training and the preparation they did.

鈥淭he results have been getting better and better in the last few years and success is contagious. Some of the skiers in the last few years have done well, so it helps others emulate their success.鈥�

As for what this says about the future of cross-country skiing in Canada, Masson said 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very exciting right now, because we know some of the ingredients that are needed is having many skiers successful, so it鈥檚 not relying on only one or two, so right now, that looks really good.

鈥淭he athletes that represented Canada at the Olympics are also quite young, so they鈥檒l be at the sport for years to come and with many of these current skiers 鈥� U23 and U20 here graduating as seniors and getting better the next few years, it looks good for the next quadrennial and the next Olympics (in) 2026,鈥� he added.

Masson doesn鈥檛 hold back when discussing how he feels about his son and Deuling鈥檚 success.

鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of them and so happy for them to experience a World Junior Championships in Norway ... where cross-country skiing is most popular in the world. Like, Norway is by far the most dominant nation in cross-country skiing, so very exciting for them to live that experience here.鈥�