Speed Skating Canada – Spots on the World Cup team are on the line September 21-23 in Montreal

Montreal, September 19, 2018 – The best short track speed skaters in Canada will battle this weekend for the privilege of representing the country on this year’s World Cup circuit, including the first stop on home soil in Calgary later this fall. The 2018 Canadian Short Track Championships will crown this season’s winners at Maurice-Richard Arena in Montreal from September 21-23.

Among the 24 men and 24 women who will be competing in the Championships are recent Olympic athletes Samuel Girard, Charles Hamelin, Charle Cournoyer, Pascal Dion, Jamie Macdonald and Kasandra Bradette. They will be challenged by an impressive group of competitors – both experienced international skaters and young up-and-coming stars – for the title. A full list of participants is available at www.speedskating.ca.

Kim Boutin will not participate in the Championships, a decision made alongside her coach and training team, as she extends her break from competition to focus on long-term performance.

Competition will start Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9:40 am, and conclude each day at approximately 4:00 pm. A full schedule is available at www.speedskating.ca. Tickets are $10 per day and can be purchased online or at the door.

Competition format and selection process

The Championships will see all participants skate twice in each of the scheduled distances, namely the 500m, 1000m and 1500m events. The seven highest ranked men and women from the Championships, based on total points earned in their two best distances, will qualify automatically for the racing pool from which each World Cup team will be selected. An additional position per gender will be a discretionary choice, to complete the pools of eight skaters.

The first World Cup of the 2018-19 season will take place at Calgary’s Olympic Oval from November 2-4. More information and tickets for this event are available at https://oval.ucalgary.ca/worldcup.

About Speed Skating Canada
Speed Skating Canada (SSC) is the governing body for long track and short track speed skating in Canada. Founded in 1887, SSC is comprised of 13 provincial and territorial associations. Together, we aim to: Challenge and inspire Canada to thrive through the power of speed skating. SSC celebrates the 63 Olympic medals won by Canadian athletes since 1932 and recognizes the coaches, officials, volunteers and other dedicated individuals who helped them on their journey.

Speed Skating Canada would like to thank its sponsors:

Premium Partner: Intact Insurance

Funding Partners: Government of Canada (Sport Canada), Own The Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee

Official On-Ice High Performance Apparel: Li-Ning

Official Suppliers: Auclair, USANA

Official Technical Equipment Supplier: Nagano Skate

Sport Development Partners: Winsport Canada, Calgary’s Olympic Oval, University of Calgary, Institut national du sport du Québec, Government of Quebec, Canadian Sport Institute-Calgary, City of Montreal, Quebec City, Excellence sportive Québec-Lévis

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For information:
Nicole Espenant
Manager, Marketing, Communications & Partnerships
Speed Skating Canada
Email: nespenant@speedskating.ca 
Phone: 613-797-1630