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Nelson skier Zaitsoff won’t go to Sochi

Nelson’s Olympic hopeful Sasha Zaitsoff won’t be headed to Sochi next month.
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Sasha Zaitsoff won't be attending the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month.

Nelson’s Olympic hopeful Sasha Zaitsoff won’t be headed to Sochi next month.

When the final athletes were named to the Olympic team earlier this week, Zaitsoff wasn’t among the group.

“It is really disappointing that I will not get to go since it is something that I have worked towards for many years,” he told the Star. “Everybody had a fair chance to make it to the team, and the way the selection process worked my results just weren't good enough. I'm happy for the guys that will be going, they skied well and deserve to be there.”

Zaitsoff’s season continues with him leaving Europe Thursday for Stowe, Vermont where he will compete in the next North American Cup races.

“Since I am not attending the Olympics my plan is to race in the rest of the NorAm races this season and secure a top two in the overall rankings,” he said.

This would give him a World Cup spot next season.

The 23-year-old got his start racing with the Nancy Greene ski league in Fernie before moving with his family to Nelson where he continued training with the Red Mountain Racers.

The BC provincial team picked him up after his second year racing FIS and in the spring of 2011, Zaitsoff made the Canadian ski team.

Zaitsoff’s mother, Elaine, has been watching her son’s progress from her home in Nelson and while she shares her son’s disappointment about not attending the Sochi games, she is proud of his accomplishments.

“His work ethic, passion, commitment and drive at striving for these goals have made him a confident young man who can take on anything and can give back much to the community,” she said.

Whenever the athlete visits home he takes time to ski with local kids training at Whitewater, something he thoroughly enjoys.