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Post by mtnme on Jul 5, 2009 12:04:27 GMT -8
Short-track speedskaters watch videos to trainJuly 4, 2009 12:15 Speedskaters preparing for the Olympics are turning to video to help them train. The skaters race in groups, then huddle around a large-screen television to watch video replays of their training. Derrick Campbell, the men's national team... Link to video about Canadian training with Derrick Cambell and Olivier Jean. (Also some clips from what I am assuming was WC2 in Vancouver last year, as I distinctly saw Anthony Lobello and Jeff Simon warming up for sure...) ;D video.lfpress.ca/video/sports/sports/5745372001/short-track-speedskaters-watch-videos-to-train/28485287001
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Post by mtnme on Jul 15, 2009 20:55:19 GMT -8
Short-track is full of fender-bendersDave Stubbs , Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, January 15, 2009 A former coach of Canada's short-track speed skating team once pondered the question: Is comparing the silky, elegant sport of long-track to the physical, rugged discipline of short-track not unlike comparing Formula One auto racing to NASCAR? "Hey, we're used to being called roller-derby," the coach said brightly. "NASCAR is an upgrade for us!" If a long-track race, skated free of contact by two athletes in designated lanes on a sweeping 400-metre oval, is akin to the most elite form of auto racing, then short-track surely is the land of human stock cars, as many as 16 high-octane, helmeted racers at once banging fenders on a 111.12-metre circuit on a hockey rink bordered by thick padding – for reasons that observers soon will find obvious. Charles Hamelin (right) leads the group as Canadian short-track speed skaters practise at the Pacific Coliseum for a World Cup event in October 2008. Ian LindsayThere will be no shortage of heart-stopping action in Vancouver and Whistler come 2010, but no sport is likely to provide more cardiac arrest than short-track. Over five days, individual races for women and men over 500, 1,000 and 1,500 metres will be joined in Pacific Coliseum – also the site of genteel figure skating – by the wild 3,000- and 5,000-metre relays for women and men, respectively. If tradition holds, Canada will be in tough against South Korea, China, the United States, Italy and Japan. Foolish is the short-track handicapper, with so much capable of going wrong – and it often does – in the dash to the finish. Short-track took its first bow on the Olympic stage at Calgary in 1988 as a wildly popular demonstration sport, Canadian athletes earning 10 top-three finishes. In Canada, what wasn't to like? Very fast skating on a modified hockey rink with plenty of body contact, and our kids in the hunt for victory in every race. Perfect. In five Games since becoming an official event in 1992 at Albertville, Canada's short-trackers have distinguished themselves with 20 podium finishes: five gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals. Since the first world championships in 1977, they have won an astonishing 123 titles. Canadian men have captured eight world team titles since 1990. Thousands of skaters have gotten dizzy since short-track's first known competition was held exactly 100 years ago, four years after its introduction in Canada and the United States. It is a dazzling spectacle, even if you almost need a Cap'n Crunch decoder ring to decipher the relays, with more close calls and passing on the right than during Friday rush-hour on a long weekend. The Hamelin family of Montreal is the locomotive that pulls Canada's short-track train. Montrealer Yves Hamelin, a three-year veteran of the Canadian program, is the national team program director. And two sons, Charles and Francois, skate on the national squad. Charles, 24, is the winner of seven individual medals (two gold) through this season's first four World Cup events. A racer since age 10, he won two silver medals at last year's world championships and earned nine individual medals during last season's World Cup campaign. Clearly he's the cream of the Canadian male crop. François Hamelin, 22, set a 500-metre world record in the autumn of 2007, since broken, and has great promise. Veteran Francois-Louis Tremblay, a native of Alma, Que., who now calls Montreal home, has been frequently decorated in international competition, a double silver medallist at the 2006 Turin Olympics. His leadership should play a large role in taking the Canadian team into Vancouver next winter. Kalyna Roberge of St. Etienne-de-Lauzon Que., has ruled the Canadian women's program for the past two years, a member of the silver medal-winning Olympic relay in Turin and a 500-metre bronze medallist in last year's worlds. Injury curtailed Roberge's autumn season, but she's rounding into form now and expects to compete on the World Cup circuit in February. Marie-Eve Drolet, a native of Chicoutimi, Que., is on the comeback trail, having decided retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. The 2000 and 2001 world junior champion had hung up her blades after skating on Canada's bronze medal-winning Salt Lake City Olympic relay. The most seasoned women's competitor is 33-year-old Tania Vicent of Laval, Que., a 16-year national-team member. Now a university law student, Vicent has won three Olympic medals during her career and often uses her experience to great advantage. Having the Olympics in Vancouver, the skaters' virtual backyard, has its obvious advantages. Near the top of the list is a familiarity with the landscape, first explored this past fall at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum. "It will give us a chance for our skaters to experience the Olympic venue in a competition setting," Yves Hamelin said before September's test event. "We spent two weeks here this summer, which allowed us to train on this ice, but being here for a competition at this time of year is critical in our preparation for the 2010 Olympic team." The Canadian squad will return to the facility in August for its pressure-packed Olympic selection meet. And then they'll return for real next February, banging and bumping fenders to what they hope is a gentle step up onto the medals podium.
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Post by mtnme on Jul 16, 2009 7:13:01 GMT -8
Whoa! ...and in an Olympic year no less... ...and the news is a few months old... ________________________________________________________________________ Olympic Oval sheds key staff; more cuts expectedBy Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald, April 2, 2009 www.calgaryherald.com/business/Olympic+Oval+sheds+staff+more+cuts+expected/1455414/story.html(you'll have to copy and paste the link, it's too long to work properly) Calgary's cash-strapped Olympic training facilities have suffered another setback, with the Oval terminating three high-level employees and planning additional cuts to some of its programs. Officials confirmed Wednesday that three people were dismissed from the Oval this week and another 10 people were recently laid off at other WinSport facilities such as Canada Olympic Park. Further reductions are expected at the Oval, which could see the development program for short-track speed-skating slashed. The cutbacks come less than a year before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. "It's a crying shame that all of this is happening at this time," said Guy Huntingford, president and chief executive of WinSport Canada. The organization, formerly the Calgary Olympic Development Association, has taken a $40-million hit on legacy funds established to pay for daily operations of facilities built to house events during the 1988 Olympics. Although the courts have allowed WinSport to withdraw $13 million from one of the funds, it won't be enough to sustain operations this year. At the Oval, which is run by the University of Calgary, three people--including its developmentco-ordinator, director of sport and director of events--were terminated Tuesday. A fourth employee, director Mark Greenwald, was dismissed in February. "The amount of money available to us for operating costs is much reduced so we have to reduce programs,"said Wayne Giles, dean of theUof C's faculty of kinesiology. There will also be cuts to short-track speedskating. "We're going to make every effort to preserve the high-performance support that is directed toward the Vancouver Olympics," he said, noting there isn't enough money for the development programs. A contract requires that two-thirds of the annual $3.5 million needed to run the Oval come from WinSport's legacy fund, with the rest paid by the university. Huntingford said WinSport met its $2.4-million obligation for the last fiscal year, which ended Tuesday.But he expects they will only be able to give $1.5 million to the Oval this year, leaving the university with a shortfall of nearly a million dollars. The situation has also led to cuts at WinSport, which included 10 layoffs and pay cuts for the remaining 120 permanent staff. cderworiz@theherald.canwest.com
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Post by mtnme on Jul 16, 2009 7:29:58 GMT -8
Cheerios helps Aspiring Olympians Go for Gold Special edition Gold Box packed with five times the donation dollars www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2009/15/c6219.htmlMISSISSAUGA, ON, July 15 /CNW/ - Right now, Canada's Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls are stepping up their training in the final stretch to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. General Mills is lending support on the sidelines by stepping up its 2010 Winter Games sponsorship program with the launch of a special edition Gold Box Cheerios. Packed with a winning combination, Gold Box Cheerios provide Canadians with a nutritious breakfast and the opportunity to support their favourite Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. "Through our tradition of supporting Olympians, General Mills knows that now, more than ever, our athletes need our support," said Dale Storey, vice-president of marketing, General Mills Corporation Canada. "Every dollar counts. The funds collected through the Gold Box Cheerios campaign will be used by athletes to offset the high financial costs associated with preparing for the Games, allowing them to focus on fulfilling their dreams." The Gold Box Cheerios packaging is visually distinctive from the other General Mills Aspiring Olympians products. The iconic box has been transformed into a limited-edition commemorative package featuring a gold embossed Cheerios logo and a call-out for the special five dollar donation. Select and Support Your Favourite Athlete The special edition Gold Box Cheerios are currently available for purchase at stores across the country. Unique PIN codes for the Gold Box Aspiring Olympians program have been printed inside every commemorative box. Canadians can collect and submit PIN codes at www.everydaycelebrations.ca/aspiringolympians. On this site they have the unique opportunity to select which athlete will benefit from their donation. General Mills will ensure five dollars is donated to each chosen athlete for every Gold Box Cheerios PIN code submitted. And, while General Mills has committed to providing each of their athletes with a minimum of $5,000, Canadians can help maximize this amount to $25,000 per athlete by submitting more PIN codes. The Gold Box Cheerios campaign is part of General Mills' Aspiring Olympians program. Launched in April to provide necessary funding to some of Canada's Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, Aspiring Olympians helps athletes overcome financial barriers as they train for the 2010 Winter Games. Funds raised from all Aspiring Olympians programs, including Gold Box Cheerios, go directly to the athletes and are used to offset the high costs of equipment, travel and other expenses incurred during training. Twelve athletes added to Aspiring Olympians roster General Mills Canada is proud to announce the second installment of athletes who will be participating in the program. In addition to the existing 16 athletes, the following 12 athletes are joining the Aspiring Olympians family: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Massimo Bertocchi - Hometown: Tottenham, ON Decathlon ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annie Martin -Hometown: Lachine, QC Beach Volleyball ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josh Cassidy - Hometown: Port Elgin, ON Para-Athletics Wheelchair Racer ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Denny Morrison - Hometown: Fort St. John, BC Speed Skating ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meagan Duhamel - Hometown: Lively, ON Figure Skating ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amanda Overland - Hometown: Kitchener, ON Short Track Speed Skating ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Janine Hanson - Hometown: Winnipeg, MB Rowing ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joshua Riker-Fox - Hometown: Delacour, AB Modern Pentathlon ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mellisa Hollingsworth - Hometown: Eckville, AB Skeleton ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joannie Rochette - Hometown: Montreal, QC Figure Skating ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carol Huynh - Hometown: Hazelton, BC Flat Water Canoeing ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ben Russell - Hometown: Dartmouth, NS Wrestling ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Training for the Olympic Games is a full-time job, so funding an entire season can be difficult without financial support," says Amanda Overland, Aspiring Olympian, Short Track Speed Skating from Kitchener, ON. "Programs like General Mills' Gold Box Cheerios are as important as my skates. Without them, I'd never make it to the Games." To date, the General Mills Aspiring Olympians program has raised more than $23,000 in total donations. With the continued help of Canadians, our young, talented athletes will be supported throughout their quest to the 2010 Winter Games. About General Mills Canada Corporation Established in 1954, General Mills Canada Corporation is based in Mississauga, Ontario. The company is best known for the many quality brands enjoyed by Canadian consumers each day. The company's flagship brand is Cheerios(*). Additional key cereal brands include Honey Nut Cheerios(*), Oatmeal Crisp(*), and Lucky Charms(*). General Mills also makes Betty Crocker(*), Nature Valley(*), Pillsbury(*), Green Giant(*), and Old El Paso(*) products. With the primary focus being Youth, Nutrition and Fitness, General Mills is dedicated to fostering good nutrition and fitness behaviours amongst young Canadians through the Champions for Healthy Kids grant program. In other areas, General Mills has been a long time supporter of organizations such as Active Healthy Kids Canada, Concerned Children's Advertisers and Hockey Canada. General Mills is also an Official Supplier for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and the Canadian Olympic Team in 2012, proudly supporting all participating Canadian athletes. (*) Trademarks/Marques Déposées of/de General Mills or its affiliates/ou de ses filiales For further information: Sandra DeCarvalho, Optimum Public Relations, (416) 306-6792, sandra.decarvalho@cossette.com
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Post by mtnme on Jul 29, 2009 21:19:14 GMT -8
Drolet primed for speedskating return By Sean Myers, Canwest News ServiceJuly 28, 2009 www.timescolonist.com/sports/2010wintergames/Drolet+primed+speedskating+return/1838336/story.html(yes, you will need to copy and paste the link - again. I have no idea why the Canadian ones are so long! LOL) CALGARY — Retired at 20 and making a comeback at 27. Marie-Eve Drolet is hoping for an Olympic podium finish next winter despite a six-year absence from short-track speedskating that followed her relay bronze at the Salt Lake Winter Winter Games in 2002. It took her less than a year to reclaim a spot on the national team and now she’s got her eye on the final roster going to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. “My times are even faster than they were before,” said Drolet. “I feel pretty confident.” Drolet said she missed being an athlete and showing her fiance how to skate with long blades in the fall of 2007 led to full time training and a return to competition last September. “I love training, I have a little harder time with the competition, I just get stressed,” she said. “I don’t really like competing but I really love to be an athlete and be in shape. It’s what I really miss.” Drolet is among seven skaters (three women and four men) from the Olympic Oval in Calgary heading to Vancouver next month for the Olympic trials, which run Aug. 9-18 at Pacific Coliseum. They’ll be competing against 13 women and 11 men who train in Montreal for one of the five spots open for each gender. “We’ve got seven athletes that are competing and to be honest the way they are skating right now, they all have the ability to make the team,” said Jonathon Cavar, an Olympic Oval-based national team coach. “The odds are against them for all seven to make it realistically, but I think there’s a good shot we can qualify quite a few people onto the team.” The top Calgary-based contender for the women is Jessica Gregg. She finished sixth overall last year at the world championships on the strength of bronze medals in the 500-metre race and the relay. “It’s going to be really competitive,” said Gregg, 21, originally from Edmonton. “The majority of short-trackers train in Montreal and most of them are French-Canadian, so we’re the little guys out here, but we’re confident we’ll be pretty good.” Canada has long been a world power in short-track speedskating, so just making the Olympic team is a significant feat. “You know if you’re wearing a Canada suit out there you’re going to be one of the favourites every race,” said Gregg. “It’s good to know that you not only made it yourself, but you’re on Canada’s team because that already means something.” The third woman from the Oval heading to the Olympic trials is Jessica Hewitt of Langley, B.C., who was ranked eighth in the Canada last year. The Calgary-based women will be up against the likes of Kalyna Roberge and Tania Vicent from Montreal, the No. 1- and 2-ranked Canadian women last year. On the men’s side, the top ranked skater is Montreal-based Charles Hamelin, who has already qualified for the Olympic team based on his third-place overall finish at the world championships last year. From the Oval, competing for the remaining four spots are Michael Gilday of Yellowknife, who earned his first World Cup podium finish last fall with a silver medal in the 1,000-metre race; Cory Rasmussen of Prince George, B.C., who has an Oval track record in the 500 metres that’s faster than the world record; Richard Shoebridge, originally from South Africa, who won a gold and a silver in World Cup relays last season; and Liam McFarlane of Medicine Hat, Alta., who set a Canadian record in the 1,500 metres in February. “It’s going to be tough, Canada’s one of the strongest men’s teams in the world,” said Gilday. “But we’re confident. Everything’s been going really well the past couple weeks. “Once you make the team, you don’t have to have any doubts that we can definitely be medal contenders in all distances and the relay at the Olympics,” said Gilday, 22. “I’m confident the men’s team has the ability to put somebody on the podium and there’s no way we want anything other than gold in the relay.” Calgary Herald
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Post by mtnme on Aug 1, 2009 11:00:12 GMT -8
Skaters set to battle for Olympic spots The Canadian Press By Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press Posted Friday, July 31, 2009 5:59 PM ET www.ctvolympics.ca/short-track-skating/news/newsid=13570.htmlKalyna Roberge - Clement Allard/The Canadian Press MONTREAL - There will be no reggae music echoing from the arena rafters and this will be no team picnic at the beach. On Aug. 9, the blades of Canada's short-track speedskating hopefuls will cut into the ice at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum for the Olympic team tryouts, a tight, five-day competition with tickets to the 2010 Winter Games on the line. "Olympic trials is one of those special moments in your life where it's skate or die," veteran skater Amanda Overland said Friday after a workout in Montreal. "It's just going to get aggressive and it is what it is - you've just got to fight for your spot. I think in a good way we need that." So far, only Charles Hamelin, who finished third overall with his cumulative point total at this year's world championships, has made the team. That means 32 short-trackers will jostle in the sometimes rough-and-tumble sport for the nine remaining places - five women and four men. With the 2010 Games on Canadian ice, the athletes will also take extra strides to make a team that will carry big medal expectations into Vancouver. Overland, 28, who won a silver medal in the relay at the 2006 Turin Games, recalled the battles from Canada's last Olympic selection, a contest that opened cuts, broke bones and cracked teeth. But she predicts the toughest part will be racing against teammates, especially those in this year's group. The tightly knit bunch spend a lot of off-ice time together at gatherings like barbecues and beach picnics. "This competition coming up right now is hell," said the Kitchener, Ont. native, who hopes to bounce back after hip surgery in September forced her to miss the 2008-'09 season. Olivier Jean, a top contender to make the men's side, said the guys remain a close unit despite the added pressure. The men even created a playlist of each other's favourite songs, which they play during light practice sessions at their home facility - Montreal's Maurice Richard Arena. "We've never had team spirit as high as we do right now," said the dreadlocked Jean, who listens to reggae as part of his pre-workout routine. He did, however, note that his teammates regularly give each other a hard time over their musical preferences. His frequent target is Hamelin's younger brother, Francois, who added a few pop tunes to the mix. "It's not really my style," Jean said with a grin. In 2006, the 25-year-old from Lachenaie, Que., tried out for the Olympic team but missed the cut. This time around, after finishing sixth overall in points at the 2009 world championships, he said he's ready to take the next step. "I'm a better athlete," he said. "I'm much more mature." The selection process runs until Aug. 18 with skaters racing three times in each of the sport's individual distances (500 metres, 1,000 metres and 1,500 metres) at the venue that will be used for the 2010 short-track competition. A short-track speedskating committee will also select one woman and one man to go to the Games, meaning four women and three men will win spots during the trials. Three-time Olympic medallist François-Louis Tremblay would have been a favourite to make the team, but a sore ankle will keep him out of the competition. He hopes his past success and considerable experience will earn him a nod from the committee. "It's a risk," said Tremblay, 28, who would love to compete in front of the Canadian Olympic fans. "I've been thinking about this every day for the last four years." Kalyna Roberge, who won a silver in the relay at the Turin Games and finished fourth in the 500 metres, is expected to make a strong push for a spot on the women's side. Short track program director Yves Hamelin, father of Charles and Francois, called the trials the "worst competition." "There is no tomorrow," Hamelin said. "For the top five it's going to be a happy day, for some it's going to be a great disappointment." The skaters who don't get the Olympic call this year will have to build on the experience to earn themselves another shot in four years, he said. Valerie Maltais, who's aiming to qualify for her first Games, said she's relaxed heading into the tryouts, where she plans to take it race by race. Olympic trials aren't exactly new to Maltais, who attended the 2006 selection in Chicoutimi, Que. At the time, she was a promising 15-year-old skater hoping to meet one of her idols. "I only wanted autographs," said Maltais. "Now it's me ... it's my chance to participate (for a spot) in the Olympics." ________________________________________________________________________ Sad news about Tremblay. It sounds like he may be asking for a medical bye, and I hope things work out for him, he's taking a big risk. But I guess if he feels he can't go out there and compete at his best, this may be the wiser course of action in an Olympic year.
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Aug 1, 2009 12:23:45 GMT -8
NO FLOU??? Here's hoping he gets that 'nod' from the committee... I guess we should be keeping our eyes and ears open for the results over the next couple of weeks. (A nice mid-summer dose of ST, eh?) Does anyone know if it will be broadcast in any way?
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Aug 7, 2009 8:08:31 GMT -8
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Post by mtnme on Aug 19, 2009 3:36:02 GMT -8
Thanks to Musical Mom on GA for the link to this article. She has been at the Canadian Olympic trials all week, and she says she even has some youtube video of some of the races.
Also, if this is accurate, woohoo! it appears Tremblay is on the team for the Olympics despite his injury and even though he was not able to compete at the trials. Wow! I guess that strategy did pay off for him...I was nervous for him for a minute...______________________________________________________________________ Canadians seek inside edge on mental track By Sean Gordon, The Globe and Mail, Posted Tuesday, August 18, 2009 10:57 PM www.ctvolympics.ca/short-track-skating/news/newsid=14303.html(also some video of the Hamelin brothers on this site)The doctor is in, although the consultations take place in a tatty corduroy arena seat rather than on a Hollywood headshrinker's overstuffed leather couch and he's not much interested in hearing about your mother. After a tough day on the ice this week, short-track speed-skater Olivier Jean clambered up the stands for a chat with the quiet, studious-looking middle-aged man in the Team Canada jacket, as did a procession of other competitors. His name is Pierre Beauchamp, the national short-track team's mental performance specialist, and a key cog in the machine that hopes to generate a significant medal haul at next February's Vancouver Winter Olympics. Beauchamp, who has worked with the national freestyle ski team and co-ordinated athlete services for the Canadian Olympic Association at two previous Games, is the principal architect of a detailed three-year psychological performance plan that will continue through the 2010 Olympics to next spring's world championships. "It's certainly the most comprehensive program I've designed," said the former McGill University varsity hockey player, who has worked with amateur and professional athletes for more than 35 years and holds a PhD in sports psychology. It's an exhaustive and ground-breaking program that involves detailed psychological assessments, fancy technology to measure neuro and bio rhythms, and reaction training. "We have a mental-skills program that works on things like concentration, motivation, visualization, activation and energy management," said Beauchamp, who has produced a book for the athletes with individual and group exercises. The short-track team has been placing special emphasis on the mental side of the sport since 2007, national team director Yves Hamelin said. "We're extremely satisfied with the results we've seen through this process," he said. "It's had two positive effects: to show them how to prepare for the next day ... and the performances on every race day have been of a high quality, with few, if any, injuries." Hamelin said the athletes have each undergone between 10 and 30 sessions of mental preparation, funded through the Own the Podium program. "We know the principal strong and weak points of each athletes and we're able to work on those in all circumstances," he said. Hamelin, whose son, Charles, is the star of the men's team and a medal favourite (Hamelin's younger son, Francois, is likely to be added on the strength of his aggregate results at the trials), said the addition of Beauchamp and other psychologists, athletic therapists and other support staff, has allowed the coaches to focus on technique and tactics. And the emphasis on a systemic approach has also allowed the team - which has previously been riven by internal rivalries - to carefully fashion its group dynamic. "Olympic selections aren't a 10-day process, they're a three-year process," Hamelin said, adding the four-year plan developed after the 2006 Turin Games was a conscious effort to strike a mix of youth and veteran experience. The national team will include Olympic rookies such as sprinter Jessica Gregg and 19-year-old Marianne St-Gelais, as well as 22-year-old Kalyna Roberge, who is skating at her second Olympics. Tania Vicent, a 17-year national team member, is the elder stateswoman of the squad. On the men's side, Jean and long-distance specialist Guillaume Bastille are Olympic neophytes, François-Louis Tremblay, a medalist in Turin, is injured but will skate at the 2010 Games. The free-spirited Jean, who won the trials for two of the three Olympic distances, is an unabashed fan of Beauchamp's, and could regularly be seen chatting with the psychologist between races. "There are a lot of ups and downs, and I think a competition like this shows you which athletes are able to deal with the 20 hours a day that you spend away from the rink. That's what the Olympics will be like," Jean said. It's no accident the Olympic selection meet followed the exact schedule the short trackers will see at the upcoming Games, it was also an opportunity for the coaches and selectors to prod their athletes and see how they would react in high-pressure circumstances. Indeed, it often appeared as though the national team brass was more interested in how the athletes dealt with their performances - and their ability to bounce back under pressure - than the actual race results. Jean credits the psychological training for allowing him to recover from the emotions of what he thought was a heartbreaking defeat in the 1,000 metres this past weekend (a photo finish later showed he won by .003 seconds) in order to race in the 1,500-metre event 90 minutes later. "It's been a big help ... the Olympic Games are long, there are distractions, as much McDonald's as you can eat, video games, people celebrating their victories in the athletes' village, lots of things that can get you out of your zone," he said. "We're going to have to perform at our peak over 10 days, you have to be able to forget about everything once you leave the rink and be ready to go the next day. "If we can do that, we'll win."
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Post by mtnme on Aug 19, 2009 3:56:29 GMT -8
Welcome Musical Mom. I just noticed after I posted the above article that you gave the link to on GA, that you signed up and were waiting for approval! (mmmm, where's that little 'waving' emotie?...) Anyway, glad to have you here. Woohoo! Do you have the links to your youtube videos? ;D
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Post by musicalmom on Aug 19, 2009 14:44:00 GMT -8
Thanks Mntme for the welcome. Lori invited me and I didn't even know about this forum. My videos are listed on you tube under flairmom and titled Canadian Olympic Trials 1500 (3) men's final; 1500(3) women's final. This is my first time posting a you tube video and I'm not sure what the links are...will eventually figure it out. Will also post my daily reports soon or perhaps Lori will. I just read her amazing exlanation of choosing U.S. OLympic team and world cup teams...I almost understand it...some different from the Canadian qualification guidelines but makes perfect sense to me. One difference is we didn't skate timed trials ( or at least I didn't see them) they may have been done at training camp last month to select the 16 men and 16 women who competed at the Oly trials. Also, the Canadian system gave Charles Hamelin an automatic placement on the team due to his World Championship wins. And a committe is set up to choose 2 final members of the team. Either because of a medical bye or just to give them an option if someone great was missed due to poor health or whatever during trials week. But now I know what they mean by saying that distance qualifying would happen at the Marquette World Cup. Guess they have to place top 8 in the relay to be allowed 5 people each gender, and then they have to qualify their various distances...it is so complicated it boggles the mind! HOpe you all who attend (and that marvelous Tony Chung) will blog daily so I can follow everyone's progress. It's been a great short track learning week plus I discovered Tony's blog and this board! Wow. Where have I been? Still visit GA and A & J regularly. It's where i posted my daily reports. HOpe you're well. ARe you coming to the Olympics? Musical Mom
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Post by musicalmom on Aug 21, 2009 7:43:15 GMT -8
Thanks to Musical Mom on GA for the link to this article. She has been at the Canadian Olympic trials all week, and she says she even has some youtube video of some of the races.
Also, if this is accurate, woohoo! it appears Tremblay is on the team for the Olympics despite his injury and even though he was not able to compete at the trials. Wow! I guess that strategy did pay off for him...I was nervous for him for a minute...Hi Mntme; I think the writer of this article jumped the gun, because Francoise Louis Tremblay has NOT YET been named to the team. He is predicted to be the likely choice of the selection committee which will choose one man and one woman to add to the skaters chosen at the Vanc. Oly Trials. The announcement is to be made on Aug. 26. I'm hoping that they will also consider Michael Gilday and Liam Mc Farland, but I'd guess they are outside chances for selection unless Flou's ankle injury has not healed. For the women, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will select Amanda Overland, but I'm guessing that both Anne and Valerie Maltais will be in the running. Although injured (slight concussion) at the trials, Tania Vicent earned enough points in the first half of the week to be selected to the team so will not need to apply to this committe for a medical bye. Guess we'll see on the 26th. Musical Mom
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Post by mtnme on Aug 21, 2009 8:17:01 GMT -8
Thanks musical mom, I thought that comment about Flou was questionable, as I hadn't seen or heard anything from 'official' sources. Guess the guy either assumed or was wishful thinking! LOL I was really rooting for Gilday, and Amanda was a surprise, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out. Thank you for all your reports though! They were great! It's nice to have a Canadian Connection! (I still have to go check out the videos) As for your previous question, no, it doesn't look like I'll be going to the Olympics - short of divine intervention.
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Aug 25, 2009 8:23:44 GMT -8
This is a tragic story that is still being written - what an amazing recovery, and I wish Joel the best of luck in 2014... Lightning Bolt Sidelines Short-Track Speedskater's Olympic Dream - For NowAndy Blatchford, THE CANADIAN PRESS Aug 18, 2009Short track speedskater Joel Mineau before a practice at the Maurice Richard arena in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter McCabe MONTREAL - His shot at the Olympics disappeared in a flash. Joel Mineau will be gazing from the sidelines Tuesday as Canada announces its short-track speedskating team for the 2010 Games. Three years ago, during a team training retreat in Quebec's Eastern Townships, a lightning bolt cracked out of the night sky and drove into the back of Mineau's neck. The strike burned 30 per cent of his body and damaged his nervous system, forcing him to learn how to walk again. After more than a year of recovery, Mineau, once a top prospect, got back on his skates. While his former teammates are securing spots in the Vancouver Olympics, he's battling to find his old form - and dreaming of another shot in 2014. But after that night in August 2006, it didn't look like he would ever get the chance. It was around 10 p.m. A storm had rolled in above Mount Sutton where the team had set up its off-season training camp, recalled physiotherapist John Pradier. "All of a sudden we heard this huge bang," Pradier said Monday. He and one of the coaches, Bruno Durand, peered out into the darkness from the balcony of their rented condo on the side of the mountain. That's when they saw Mineau, then 18, lying face down on the road. Lightning flickered and bombs of thunder dropped all around them as Pradier, coach John Cavar and physiotherapist Mylene Boisvert desperately tried to revive the promising athlete in the pouring rain. Pradier pressed his fingers into Mineau's wrists and neck in search of vital signs, as Cavar pumped his chest. "For the first time in my life, I couldn't feel anything," said Pradier, who has more than 20 years of CPR training. "There was nothing." After 15 minutes, Mineau's pulse came back. The ambulance rumbled up the hill moments later. "There was somebody watching over him, for sure," Pradier said. "If he would have been maybe 50 metres up or down the street, nobody would have seen him until the next morning." Mineau was brought to a Montreal hospital, where doctors placed him for days in an induced coma. Due to his injuries, Mineau, who finished 10th overall at the 2006 world junior championships, missed almost two full seasons of speedskating. He started his comeback last season and finished the year ranked No. 22 in Canada. Mineau, now 21 years old, feels his speed and strength getting back to where they were, and he wants to get faster. At the same time he's grateful to be alive. "That's why I keep skating even though the results are not there," he said before a practice session at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal. "I know I can succeed eventually. "I think there's no way I won't be able to come back." In 2006, Mineau could round the oval as fast as other young short-trackers who have since developed world-class speed, including his close friend and housemate, Olympic hopeful Francois Hamelin. Hamelin competed with Mineau at his only international event - the 2006 world junior championships in Romania. "It was awesome, two best friends since the longest time and we were doing the world junior championships together, so it was really cool, and it would have been incredible to do the Olympics or the world championships together," Mineau said. Hamelin has since earned medals at international events. Mineau admits that it was tough at first to watch his childhood skating buddy excel. "I was kind of feeling crushed a little bit by it because I was always kind of the same strength as him," the Longueuil, Que., resident said. "But now I'm really happy for him." National team director Yves Hamelin, Francois' father, said Mineau was once considered a top contender to make the Vancouver Olympics. "Technically speaking, he was basically on top of the art," Hamelin said in a phone interview from Vancouver, where the Olympic selection process for short-track speedskaters wraps up Tuesday. Hamelin said it was terrifying to see Mineau, whom he considers a son, lying on the mountain road without a heartbeat. "Physically speaking, he's recovered completely - for us, it's like a miracle," he said. But Hamelin indicated the gap remains wide between Mineau and the country's top skaters. "He's skating well, he's getting back up to his previous level, but in the two years it took to bring him there, all the others improved themselves," he said. Mineau, who doesn't remember being struck by lightning, has only one physical scar from that night - the exit-wound mark on his left baby toe, which is permanently numb. He knows he has to train hard for another shot at international competition, especially after realizing he didn't acquire the mythical powers that are said to be left with lightning-strike victims. Though at one point, after winning seven straight matches against a friend on an NHL video game, he thought he had found his gift from Mother Nature. "I was like, 'Maybe this is the miraculous thing?', but I lost right after that."
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Post by sunshine on Oct 3, 2009 12:22:55 GMT -8
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