World championship bronze for Maclean
By BRIAN MULHERIN
Daily News Staff Writer
A world championship medal is coming to Ludington.
Dave Maclean of Hamlin Township took a bronze medal at the Masters World Cup skiing championships in McCall, Idaho, Monday.
Maclean medalled in a 10-kilometer freestyle or skate race for skiers from age 45-49.
There were 42 other skiers in the race and they all started together.
“I got a good start, I was in probably fourth place at the start and shortly after the start a group of four of us kind of broke away from the rest of the group,” Maclean said. “For the last probably seven k, there were just four of us together in the lead who kind of took turns changing places until just before the finish and then it was kind of a sprint between the four people.”
Maclean finished 3.4 seconds behind winner Jen Francois Duchampt of France and 1.7 seconds behind Kent Murdoch of the U.S. Maclean’s time of 24.02 minutes was fast, but he said it’s difficult to figure out personal records in a sport with such variable conditions.
Maclean also raced in a 30k race Sunday and placed 13th.
Today he will race in a 4×5k relay, representing the United States with
three other skiers. He also will race in a 45k race on Friday, but prefers shorter races.
“The relay, it’s going to be a pretty tight group with the Russians, the Italians and the Americans,” Maclean said. “Especially the Russians. It should be a pretty exciting race. The 45k, I’m not real excited about. But the pressure’s kind of off. After the relay, I’m going to relax and have some more fun.”
The medal caps a remarkable season for Maclean, who has finished in the top five of most of his races and even won the VASA race in Traverse City Feb. 9.
“It feels great, it’s pretty exciting,” Maclean said. “There’s quite a few Michigan skiers out here, because as far as anybody can tell it’s the first medal that anyone from Michigan has won.”
- Reprinted from the Ludington Daily News 3/5/08 - Ludington, Michigan.