A big result on the Canada Cup and Junior Series in Canmore, Alta. this past week has vaulted Ethan Wood towards his inaugural World Championships experience.
On June 11, Wood bested a field full of international talent to knock down his cross-country Olympic (XCO) race in one hour, eight minutes and nine seconds. That put him ahead of runner-up River Valdez (1:08:45) and Emilien Belzile in third (1:08.55).
The following XCO event on June 14 delivered higher stakes, for it served as a World Championships qualifier. Wood needed to finish as top Canadian to make the cut, and he did just that in third overall (1:06.44).
Valdez emerged victorious (1:05.29) and his fellow American Benjamin Bravman ended up second (1:06.43).
"This was a key race for me," said Wood in a press release. "The field was stacked, and I knew I had to stay sharp, race smart and make every effort count. To come out with a win mid-week and then qualify for Worlds—it’s a huge confidence boost."
The next World Championships are held this September in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. More results from Canmore are available here.
