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Post by Laura (Lori) on Oct 5, 2013 16:53:12 GMT -8
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Nov 24, 2013 14:19:41 GMT -8
Charles has received a well-deserved nomination as CBCSports' Athlete of the Year - he's moved up a spot (from 6th to 5th) since I first saw the poll yesterday.
He's up against some tough competition, but it's easy to vote - simply scroll down, vote and submit!
Voting ends Dec 6 - show Short Track some love!
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Post by sk8erfan on Dec 5, 2013 7:25:14 GMT -8
NBC also did a nice interview with Charles Hamelin.
Calm, cool, collected: Charles Hamelin
Hamelin, the Canadian short track speed skater and double Olympic gold medalist, will skate in his third in Olympics in Sochi. He won gold in the 500m and the 5000m men’s relay in Vancouver and silver in the relay in Torino. He’s as good as it gets in short track, and at 29 years old, he hasn’t slowed down. He was the overall World Cup champion this year, finishing first in the overall standings for the 1000m and second in the overall standings for the 500m and 1500m.
For a man who has accomplished nearly everything in the skating world, he’s polite, quiet, and downright grateful to be in the position he is.
www.nbcolympics.com/news/calm-cool-collected-charles-Hamelin
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Dec 9, 2013 12:40:40 GMT -8
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Post by sk8erfan on Dec 10, 2013 8:56:39 GMT -8
This article is a few weeks old but it's a good one so I thought I'll post it. I think all of the names listed at the end of the article are strong candiates (Alexandre Bilodeau, Hayley Wickenheiser, Christine Nesbitt, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and Kaillie Humphries), and while Charles is my top pick I feel like it may go to Hayley Wickenheiser (3 golds, 1 silver in 4 Olympics in hockey, this will be her 5th).
If Charles doesn't get picked for the opening ceremony then I think he'll become a strong candidate for the closing ceremony flag bearer.
Charles Hamelin hopes to carry Canadian flag at Sochi Olympics opening ceremony
There are four men’s short track speed skating events scheduled at this winter’s Sochi Olympics. But Canadian star Charles Hamelin is hoping for one more.
The 800 metre stadium march, with flag.
Hamelin, the defending Olympic champion in the 500 metres and 5,000 metre relay events, was asked on Wednesday if there has been much talk about him being named the Canadian opening ceremony flag-bearer in Sochi.
“Yes,” the personable native of Sainte-Julie, Que., replied without hesitation.
Nothing is official yet. The Canadian flag-bearer will be named on Jan. 24 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. But Hamelin — based on his two golds in Vancouver in 2010, his silver medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics and eight world championships golds — is considered the favourite to carry the flag in Sochi and would be absolutely thrilled if chosen to do so.
www.torontosun.com/2013/11/27/charles-hamelin-hopes-to-carry-canadian-flag-at-sochi-olympics-opening-ceremony
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Dec 10, 2013 14:27:41 GMT -8
He would be an excellent and very deserving choice!
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Dec 10, 2013 14:31:10 GMT -8
Posting this to BOTH Charles & Francois' threads - a very good one! Hamelin brothers part of proud Quebec short track speed skating traditionBy Steve Buffery / Toronto Sun / Thursday, November 28, 2013 05:40 PM EST It’s hard to imagine two closer brothers. For more than a decade, they’ve travelled the world together, supporting each unconditionally in both good times and bad — often at the same competition, such as the Vancouver Olympics. Sitting inside the frigid Mattamy Centre on Wednesday, the Hamelins took turns setting each other up for a laugh and often finished each other’s thoughts. As Charles said, when you have such a close confidant at every competition — someone you can lean on when times are tough — it’s a huge advantage.Read it all: www.torontosun.com/2013/11/28/hamelin-brothers-part-of-proud-short-track-speed-skating-in-quebec |
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Post by sk8erfan on Dec 13, 2013 5:49:52 GMT -8
Congratulations Charles! I'm glad to see his accomplishments are being recognized and that's a pretty nice prize to go along with the win.
Charles Hamelin Voted Air Canada Athlete of the Year
Air Canada today announced Canadian short track speed skater Charles Hamelin has been voted the winner of the Air Canada Athlete of the Year Award in a national on-line poll.
"Air Canada is very pleased that Charles has been chosen to receive the Air Canada Athlete of the Year Award for 2013. He exemplifies the leadership, dedication and commitment to excellence the award celebrates and it is clear Canadians recognize his hard work and talent," said Craig Landry, Vice President of Marketing at Air Canada. "As a sponsor of the Canadian Olympic Team, we take great pride in our association with all of our Olympic athletes and also congratulate slopestyle snowboarder Mark McMorris and bobsledder Kaillie Humphries who were the runners-up for this award. Additionally, we thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who took time to vote for their favorite athlete in our national poll."
The winner receives two complimentary Business Class tickets to anywhere in the world Air Canada flies as well as Altitude Super Elite™ status for one year.
aircanada.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=728
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Post by sk8erfan on Jan 8, 2014 17:09:11 GMT -8
Here's a really well done video about Charles Hamelin from the Canadian Olympic Team. |
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Post by sk8erfan on Jan 21, 2014 17:11:27 GMT -8
Here’s a really interesting article about Charles with some quotes from Marianne and Apolo. I've only posted part of the article, the full article is definitely worth reading.
Hamelin poised for another strong performance at the OlympicsThe 29-year-old with shaggy hair and gentle brown eyes has also been described as an intimidating opponent, a fearless tactician on the ice. And Hamelin’s name is among the favourites to be called Thursday when the Canadian Olympic Committee names its flag-bearer for the Opening Ceremony next month in Sochi.
He was the only Canadian athlete to win two gold medals four years ago in Vancouver — he won them only a half-hour apart — and he will anchor a short-track team poised for another strong performance in Russia.
“I’ve always said Charles has two personalities: one on the ice, and one off the ice,” his long-time girlfriend and teammate Marianne St-Gelais said with a smile. “On the ice is, like, ‘Oh my God’ — aggressive, swearing, ‘roar, I’m the best in the world.’”
She took a breath.
“And then, when he gets off the ice, he’s like, ‘S— happens,’ and, ‘It’s OK, we’re going to have another round,’ ” she said. “And at home, it’s the same thing. He’s drawing, he’s playing games. It’s not the same guy at all. And I think that’s good.”
Since making its debut as a full Olympic sport in 1992, short-track has generally seemed more combustible than its long-track sibling. Athletes tear around a sheet of ice the size of a hockey rink, jostling for position in packs as they scream around corners at speeds of around 60 km/h.
Hamelin is from a speedskating family. His father, Yves, is the short-track program director with Speed Skating Canada. His younger brother, François, made his Olympic debut in Vancouver. And he lives within walking distance of Maurice Richard Arena, a short-track specific facility in Montreal, right next to Olympic Stadium.
Hamelin has won three Olympic medals. He won the 500-metre race in Vancouver, along with a gold medal in the 5,000-metre relay. He had already won silver with the relay team four years earlier at the Turin Olympics.
“I remember when he first came on the scene,” said retired U.S. short-track star Apolo Anton Ohno, who won eight Olympic medals. “He kind of had no emotion when he skated. Literally, this guy was a machine. And it’s intimidating, because you watch athletes and you want to see them when they get tired — and he just would defy logic.”
Hamelin, he said, would move to the front of the pack with 11 laps left to race, and push the pace. Ohno, who will be working as a colour analyst and reporter for NBC in Sochi, finished second behind Hamelin in the 500-metre final in Vancouver, but was disqualified for allegedly causing a crash earlier in the race.
Part of the Canadian’s strength, he said, comes from the ability to generate power from a modest-sized frame. Another reason: “He’s got this kind of indomitable spirit that is hard to break.”
“He skates with a lot of guts, which is very important in short-track speedskating,” Ohno said. “Because a lot of times, you’ll see athletes who don’t want to lead races, or they don’t want to skate from the front. I hated skating from the front; I always skated in the back.”
Ohno chuckled.
“The guy was like a friggin’ steam train,” he said. “So strong.”www.canada.com/olympics/news/hamelin-poised-for-another-strong-performance-at-the-olympics |
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Post by sk8er on Jan 22, 2014 17:38:24 GMT -8
Anyone who saw Apolo and Charles battle it out to reach the 1st turn in the 500m in 2006 would certainly agree to the indomitable spirit. Charles didn't move at all on the start line (he was in lane 2, Apolo in lane 1). The 500m was his in Vancouver and a sweet victory I'm sure. Now this time around "Victor Ah" has been doing well in the 500m WC and he took the bronze in 2006. I'm rooting for J.R. and all our guys! What excitement....I'm counting the days!
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Jan 29, 2014 19:07:26 GMT -8
Yup, I think he can do it! I also like the accompanying video, which features his brother Francois... Sochi 2014: Charles Hamelin a short track machineCanada’s speed skating machine Charles Hamelin is looking to repeat his double gold medal Olympic performance in Sochi As an Olympic veteran and Canada’s only multiple gold medallist from Vancouver, Charles Hamelin is a treasure trove of knowledge for any speed skater. But no one wants to room with him in Sochi.
That’s because he’ll put his head on a pillow and there it will stay for 9 or even 10 uninterrupted hours of sleep, each and every night.
It doesn’t matter that he’ll be under enormous pressure to deliver gold medals on the biggest sporting stage in the world. It doesn’t matter what time zone he’s in or what team drama might be going on. None of it ever affects him.Read it all: www.thestar.com/sports/sochi2014/speedskating/2014/01/29/sochi_2014_charles_hamelin_a_short_track_machine.htmlTags: Charles Hamelin / Francois Hamelin |
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Feb 13, 2014 12:55:20 GMT -8
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Post by sk8erfan on Mar 5, 2014 20:24:39 GMT -8
Charles has announced that he plans to continue competing with the hopes of making the 2018 Olympic team! Very excited to see Charles continue to compete and like he said, he just keeps getting better and better.
Gold Medal Speed Skater Charles Hamelin’s Announcement: ‘I’m Going For Four More Years’
Three-time Olympic short track speed skating gold medallist Charles Hamelin made a special announcement in an interview with George Stroumboulopoulos: he intends to compete at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
"You're the first one I can say that to.... I'm going for four more years," said Hamelin in an exclusive interview with George.
"When I talked with my coach we had a long discussion about what I did in the past, what I did in the Olympics, what I still can do," said Hamelin. "I never had one year where I was equal or worse than the year before. I've always improved year after year. Even this year compared to last year."
Hamelin, who won a gold in Sochi last month, also won two Olympic golds in Vancouver in 2010 and a silver in Turin in 2006. If he competes in 2018 it'll be his fourth Olympic games.
"I want to know where it can get me and I want to go as far as I can," said Hamelin. "I'm the kind of guy who I go for everything, or I stop. Like, I say, 'I'm going four years.' (Then) I'm going four years and I will make my chance to go to another Olympics."
And why is Hamelin doing this exactly?
"I love short track," he says. "And when you love something you don't see it as work, as difficult. I wake up every morning and I'm just pleased to go to the rink and have pain in my legs."
George's interview with Charles Hamelin airs Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 7 p.m. on CBC.
Source: www.cbc.ca/strombo/videos/web-exclusive/charles-hamelin-gold-medal-speed-skater-im-going-for-four-more-years
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Apr 5, 2014 16:01:55 GMT -8
TITLE: Short Track's Golden Family: The Hamelins
TYPE: Video
TAGS: Charles Hamelin / Francois Hamelin / Yves Hamelin / Short Track Speedskating
TIMELINE: April 3, 2014
(Video also posted on Francois' thread)
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