Speed Skating Canada (SSC-PVC) and Patinage de vitesse international Montréal (PAVIM) were holding a press conference today at the Hôtel Universel Montreal to announce who would be the six skaters, three men and three women, representing Canada in the individual distances during this weekend’s ISU World short track championships at the Maurice-Richard arena.
By Carl Savard
Photos by Schaats Foto's
If it’s with no surprise that Speed Skating Canada announced the nomination of two times olympic medallist Samuel Girard, three times olympic medallist Kim Boutin and veterans Charles Hamelin and Marianne St-Gelais as four of the six skaters who would compete on all the distances during the weekend, speculations were rampant when it came to the third man and woman who would get this opportunity.
On the men’s side, rising star Pascal Dion was selected over veteran François Hamelin, who went to Pyeongchang but didn’t get the chance to skate and young veteran Charle Cournoyer.
For the women, even though Kasandra Bradette skated with poise as a member of the relay team in Pyeongchang and Valérie Maltais seemed like she had regain her glory days’ lightness and smile in the last year, Speed Skating Canada decided that The quiet strength from the West, Jamie Macdonald, would be a better choice this weekend to represent Canada in the individual distances.
With their individual medals at the Pyeongchang olympic games, Samuel Girard from Ferland-et-Boilleau and Kim Boutin from Sherbrooke, were automatically confirmed for the World championships. As for the other skaters, the selection committee had a list of criterias established to help make the best selection possible. On the men’s side, the experiences and performances on the international scene, national results, training performances, effect on the group’s dynamic, the mental preparation and mental state of mind going into these championships, the implication in the national program and the medical status were the main criterias. While a similar list was used to select the two women who would join Boutin, the preparation of the team’s future was the first criteria. Based on that, it’s with no surprise that Jamie Macdonald, 23 years old, was selected over Maltais and Bradette who are respectively 27 and 28.
To learn more about the upcoming World championships and the environment in which Kim Boutin, Marianne St-Gelais, Jamie Macdonald, Samuel Girard, Charles Hamelin and Pascal Dion will compete, read yesterday’s article HERE
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