McKeever: "Olympic dream over"

Paul Carter

A Canadian skier’s dream of becoming the first person to appear at both the Winter Olympics and Paralympics has been shattered after being dropped from the squad.

Brian McKeever, who is visually impaired, had hoped to make history in front of a home crowd in Vancouver after being selected for his country’s 50km cross-country skiing squad.

He had already become a national icon in Canada, appearing across news programmes and even featuring in his own television advertisement.

However, just over a day before he was due to compete in his Olympic race, McKeever was told that he would not be one of Canada’s entrants.

Each country is only permitted four racers in each race, and coaching staff opted for four skiers who had already performed well in other Vancouver events.

Canada’s head coach, Inge Braten, said he had to put the interests of the team ahead of sentiment.

“I have to be professional. I have to choose the guys who are best for the 50K.

“Sorry to say, all four are faster than Brian. And I think they can fight for a medal – all four of them. Do I then have to pick out one who has a medal chance and put in Brian?

“That’s the situation. I don’t like it,” he said.

A post made by McKeever on Twitter simply said: “Olympic dream over. Don’t think I’ve ever been so sad.”

McKeever, who has Stargardt’s disease, has only ten per cent peripheral vision. In Olympic events he skis alone, while in Paralympic races his older brother Robin, himself an Olympic athlete who represented Canada in the 1998 Winter Olympics, acts as his guide.

It is reported that he even petitioned the skiing governing body, FIS, to make an exception and allow a fifth entrant for Canada to compete on home snow.

No such request was granted.

While several athletes have achieved the feat of competing in both the summer Olympics and Paralympics, McKeever would have been the first to reach the milestone in the winter equivalents.

However, he now turns his attention to the Winter Paralympics, in which he competes in five visually-impaired class races; three in cross-country and two in the biathlon.