Five Northern skiers head to Olympic team trials

Five Northern cross-country skiers are hoping for a spot competing for Team Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

The cross-country ski qualifying races will be held in Canmore, Alta., Jan. 8 to 12. Emily and Graham Nishikawa, Colin Abbott and Knute Johnsgaard of Whitehorse and Jesse Cockney, originally from Yellowknife, will be aiming for good finishes. 

• Listen to Trail's End's Allison Devereaux's interview with Jesse Cockney

Emily Nishikawa, 24, who has been cross-country skiing since she was four years old, is on the national cross-country skiing senior development team and has a good shot at making the Olympic team.

"It can be overwhelming because there's a lot on the line in these races," she said. "But I try not to think about that and treat it like any other race."

Alain Masson, head coach of the Yukon Ski Team, said he would be proud to have the Yukon represented in Russia.

"It would be a great achievement for the Yukon program to have some of these individuals qualifying," he said. "It would just demonstrate the strength and quality of the Yukon ski team program."

Cockney just returned from touring Europe, competing in the cross-country skiing World Cup. He didn't take home any medals but says the opportunity to compete with the best is always one of his goals and he's still hopeful he can do that at the Olympics in Sochi.