Speed Skating Canada (SSC) – The last Fall World Cup stage will be held this weekend, December 8-10

Salt Lake City, December 7, 2017 – The Canadian Long Track Speed Skating team is in Salt Lake City, U.S.A., this weekend, December 8-10, for the last World Cup to be held this fall and, at the same time, this will be the last opportunity for the athletes to prequalify or qualify spots for Canada for the upcoming Olympic Games.

In Salt Lake City, the first of two 500m races, the team pursuit events and the mass start semifinals are scheduled on Friday, followed on Saturday by the second 500m, the 1500m and the mass start finals. The competition will end on Sunday with the 1000m, the women’s 3000m and the men’s 5000m races.

Following the first three World Cup stages, Canada has won 16 medals, two more than last season.

Competitions will be webcast live from Friday to Sunday on the CBC Sports (http://www.cbc.ca/sports) and Radio-Canada Sports (http://ici.radio-canada.ca/) websites.

 

Last opportunity to qualify spots

Heading towards the Olympic Games, each country that has a skater ranked among the top 20 in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m events in the Special Olympic Qualification Classification following the four fall World Cups will get a spot for the Olympic Games in this event, up to a maximum of three per country. A total of 32 female and 36 male skaters will skate in each of these events in PyeongChang. Remaining spots will be filled based on fastest times.

In the women’s 3000m and men’s 5000m, the first 16 skaters will get a spot for their country, up to a maximum of three. A total of 24 athletes will take part in each of these distances at the Games.

In the women’s 5000m and men’s 10,000m, the first eight athletes will grab a spot for a maximum of two representatives per country. A total of 12 athletes will skate in each of these events.

In mass start, the 24 first skaters will obtain a spot for their country. There will be no other spots allowed, even by time. Each country can qualify a maximum of two skaters per gender.

Finally, in team pursuit, the first six teams qualify for the Olympic games. Two other spots for a total of eight will be allocated based on time, including the host country, South Korea, which has a right to enter a team.

After the first three fall World Cups, Canada has a full quota in all distances, except for the 5000m and mass start, both on the men’s side.

Winners of individual medals at the first three World Cups, Alex Boisvert-Lacroix, Marsha Hudey and Laurent Dubreuil in the 500m, Vincent De Haître in the 1500m, Ivanie Blondin in the 3000m and Ted-Jan Bloemen in the 10,000m will aim to conclude the fall World Cup season among the first five in their respective ranking in order to prequalify for the Olympic Games. To do so, Canada will need to have at least two quota spots in these events.

Blondin has also prequalified for PyeongChang in the 5000m after earning a bronze medal in that distance at the 2017 World Single Distance Championships and another medal in the same event at this fall’s World Cup in Stavanger.

Winner of a silver medal in the 1000m at last season’s World Single Distance Championships, Vincent De Haître will aim to win his first medal in this event at the final World Cup this fall in an attempt to prequalify for the Olympic games.

Remaining spots will be filled at the 2018 Long Track Team Selections January 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 at Calgary’s Olympic Oval.

 

Canadian Team for the ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Salt Lake City:

-BLOEMEN, Ted-Jan (Calgary, AB) – 5000m

-BLONDIN, Ivanie (Ottawa, ON) – 1500m, 3000m, Mass Start

-BOISVERT-LACROIX, Alex (Sherbrooke, QC) – 500m

-CHRIST, Kali (Regina, SK) – 1500m

-DE HAÎTRE, Vincent (Cumberland, ON) – 1000m, 1500m

-DONNELLY, Ben (Oshawa, ON) – 5000m

-DUBREUIL, Laurent (Lévis, QC) – 500m

-DUTTON, William (Humboldt, SK) – 500m

-FIOLA, Christopher (Montréal, QC) – Mass Start

-GÉLINAS-BEAULIEU, Antoine (Sherbrooke, QC) – 1500m, 5000m

-HUDEY, Marsha (White City, SK) – 500m, 1000m

-IRVINE, Kaylin (Calgary, AB) – 500m, 1000m

-JEAN, Olivier (Lachenaie, QC) – Mass Start

-JUNIO, Gilmore (Calgary, AB) – 500m

-LA RUE, David (Saint-Lambert, QC) – 1000m, 1500m

-McLEAN, Heather (Winnipeg, MB) – 500m, 1000m

-MORRISON, Denny (Fort St. John, B.C.) – 1000m, 1500m

-MORRISON, Josie (Kamloops, B.C.) – 3000m

-MORRISON, Keri (Burlington, ON) – Mass Start

-REMPEL, Shannon (Winnipeg, MB) – 500m

-ST-JEAN, Alexandre (Quebec City, QC) – 500m, 1000m

-TUTT, Brianne (Airdrie, AB) – 1000m, 1500m, 3000m

-WEIDEMANN, Isabelle (Ottawa, ON) – 1500m, 3000m

 

Jordan Belchos from Markham, ON, will also travel with the team.

The full 2018 Olympic Selection Policies and Processes are available at www.speedskating.ca/2018-og/.

 

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. Speed Skating Canada is committed to Challenge and Inspire Canada to Thrive through the power of Speed Skating. SSC recognizes and values its outstanding volunteers who give freely of their time and expertise. It also celebrates the 63 Olympic medals won by Canadian athletes since 1932, as well as the coaches, officials and other dedicated individuals who helped them on their journey. www.speedskating.ca

 

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

Long Track Team Sponsor: KIA

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:

Kerry Dankers
Long Track Program and Communications Coordinator
Speed Skating Canada
Email: kdankers@speedskating.ca
Phone: 403-589-8960
Website: www.speedskating.ca 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSC.PVC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SSC_PVC 

Patrick Godbout
Communications & Media Relations Manager
Speed Skating Canada
Email: pgodbout@speedskating.ca
Phone: 514 213-9897
Website: www.speedskating.ca 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSC.PVC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SSC_PVC