Canada's Brian McKeever, right, and his brother and guide Robin celebrate their gold medal win in the men's 10 km classic cross country visually impaired race during the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games, on March 18, 2010.Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press
Robin McKeever has been named head coach of Canada’s cross-country ski team following 12 years coaching the country’s decorated Para Nordic program.
Nordiq Canada announced Wednesday that McKeever will oversee the team’s preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
McKeever, who turns 49 on Friday, represented Canada in cross-country skiing at the 1998 Nagano Games. He then became a guide for his brother, Para skiing star Brian McKeever, helping him win 10 of his record-setting 20 Paralympic medals.
McKeever took over as coach of Canada’s Para Nordic squad in 2011, with the program amassing 36 Paralympic medals and 29 world championship medals under his watch.
Nordiq Canada says McKeever will be responsible for leading all aspects of program delivery for its Olympic program.
Canada hasn’t won a medal in cross-country skiing since 2006, when Chandra Crawford won gold in the women’s individual sprint and Sara Renner and Beckie Scott combined for silver in the team sprint.
The country’s best result at the recent Beijing Games was Antoine Cyr and Graham Ritchie finishing fifth in the men’s team sprint.
“This is an exciting opportunity for me to build on the program’s significant progress made to date, and lead this strong, cohesive pool of talented athletes, fantastic wax team, and established sport science program that is already in place,” McKeever said in a release. “We know from our own history that Canadian cross-country skiers can compete, and win, against the best in the world.”