Canadian cross-country team hopes to fix waxing troubles in 10-kilometre relay

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia – Canadians Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw won’t compete in the Olympic men’s 4×10-kilometre cross-country skiing relay race Sunday after all.

Harvey, of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., and Kershaw, of Sudbury, Ont., want to save their energy for the team sprint Wednesday. They won the event at the 2011 world championship and were fourth at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Canada’s relay team Sunday will now consist of Toronto’s Len Valjas, Ivan Babikov of Canmore, Alta., Graeme Killick of Fort McMurray, Alta., and Jesse Cockney of Canmore.

Head coach Justin Wadsworth said the hope is to use the relay to try to find a solution to the waxing problems that have plagued the team in the soft, wet snow left by the warm weather in the region.

He said Harvey and Kershaw are skiing well enough to win a medal if they can resolve the wax issue.