WHISTLER, B.C. — The beauty of the Olympic cross-country skiing course is found in the frost-rimmed eyes of the beholder.
Following the women’s 10-kilometre race at the Vancouver Games, World Cup leader Justyna Kowalcyzk wasn’t seeing anything pretty about the winding, gradual inclines of Callaghan Valley.
“This track is not for me. This track is not for the Olympics,” the Polish skier said after Monday’s race, as the scoreboard flashed up her fifth-place finish — a big disappointment for a superstar of women’s skiing.
She was well behind the charismatic 22-year-old Swede Charlotte Kalla, who grabbed the gold medal, becoming one of the youngest women’s winners in history and a national hero in her skiing-mad homeland.
Estonian Kristina Smigun-Vaehi took the silver, with veteran Marit Bjoergen winning the bronze.
Kowalcyzk, meanwhile, complained there were too many corners, that the loop contained a “dangerous downhill,” and added for good measure, “It was the first time in my life I see a track like that in the Olympics.”
It appears radically different skiing styles suit different designs of courses.
Kowalcyzk is a tough climber who likes grinding up the steep, long uphills that characterize some courses in Europe, where she can use her lung power to her advantage.
Kalla dances on her skis and has beautiful style around twists and turns, and power glides in great long strides.
Canada’s Ivan Babikov, who placed eighth in the men’s 15-kilometre race on Monday, had much kinder words for Callaghan Valley and his home course.
He gradually built up speed on his second round of the track and once again demonstrated he has some of the best endurance in international skiing.
The steadily improving Canadian skier, who moved here from Russia and is known as “the bulldog” for his tenacity, had no complaints Monday about the tracks.
“I’m proud to be Canadian,” said Babikov, who is based in Canmore. “I’m proud to represent these colours here. It’s my home soil here, racing in Vancouver. It’s special.”
The race was won by Dario Cologna, a Swiss racer with clean technique and a magnificent glide, followed by Pietro Piller Cottrer of Italy and Lukas Bauer of Czech Republic. Remarkably, Norwegian star Petter Northug only came 41st.
George Grey of Rossland, B.C., placed 29th, while Canmore’s Gordon Jewett, in his first Olympic race, came 52nd.
Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., a rising star in skiing, placed 21st, about one minute 19 seconds behind the leader, but he was singing the praises of the race track.
“It was breaking the ice, a warm-up. A good preparation for the 30-kilometre pursuit,” he said. “I love the course. This (course) and the Norwegian courses, they really are my favourites. They are long, gradual hills. You can glide well, ski with power and there are technical corners. Maybe she (Kowalcyzk) had trouble in the corners, but it’s the Olympics!”