Golden performance comes on heels of three bronze medals in Calgary

 

Credit: Brennan Smith, Utah Olympic Oval

 

Speed Skating Canada – SALT LAKE CITY, USA – Alyson Charles of Montreal, QC added to her ISU World Cup Short Track medal haul on Sunday, bringing home her first career gold in the ladies 1000m (2) event in Salt Lake City. She found the top of the podium after skating through the morning repechage rounds, earning first-place performances in all five of her races in the distance on Sunday.

 

“Winning a gold medal in my second World Cup is really incredible and far above my expectations for myself,” said an overjoyed Charles. “At the start of the season, I came to learn and gain experience. After last weekend in Calgary, when I came to Salt Lake City I knew more of my potential and that I could compete with the best.”

 

In the final, Charles completed an outside pass from the back of the pack mid-way through the race to find herself in first place. After leading her competitors for the remaining laps, Charles held on at the line for the win, narrowly edging out silver medalist Anna Seidel of Germany by three one-thousandths of a second.

 

“My goal this morning was to get myself into the main competition,” explained Charles about her strategy for the day. “After that, I went one race at a time. It was a long day – in total I did six races! So, my legs are pretty tired. But in the final, I told myself that I would give everything I had left, and it paid off with the medal.”

 

In men’s action, Charles Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, QC was advanced to the A final of the men’s 500m after contact from another skater in the semifinals impeded his race. He came fifth in the finals, skating to a world record pace set by gold medalist Wu Dajing of China.

 

The lone other Canadian in an individual final on Sunday – Danaé Blais of Châteauguay, QC – finished second in the B final of the ladies 500m, missing the top spot by one one-thousandth of a second. The mixed relay team also competed in the B final, skating to a first-place finish in that event.

 

Penalties to Charle Cournoyer (Boucherville, QC) in the men’s 1000m (2) quarter-finals and Courtney Sarault (Moncton, NB) in the ladies semifinals of the same event ended their runs at the podium. Samuel Girard (Ferland-et-Boilleau, QC) and Cédrik Blais (Châteauguay, QC) failed to advance out of the men’s 500m quarter-finals, with Montreal’s Camille De-Serres Rainville and Pascal Dion meeting the same fate in the ladies 500m and men’s 1000m (2) quarter-finals respectively.

 

The Canadian short track team will be back in action at the next ISU World Cup Short Track, taking place December 7-9 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

 

Full results from the World Cup in Salt Lake City can be found on the ISU Results Portal.

 

-30-

 

Media Contact

Nicole Espenant

Speed Skating Canada

Email: communications@speedskating.ca

Phone: 613-797-1630