Speed Skating Canada – Former short track star Valérie Maltais competing for a long track World Cup spot alongside over a dozen Olympians in Calgary

Speed Skating Canada – CALGARY, ALBERTA – Canada’s best long track speed skaters will compete for a national title and a spot on this year’s World Cup squad at the 2018 Canadian Single Distance Championships this weekend in Calgary, Alberta. The event will take place at the Calgary Olympic Oval from October 20-23, 2018.

On the women’s side, a trio of two-time Olympians in Ivanie Blondin (Ottawa, ON), Kaylin Irvine (Calgary, AB) and Keri Morrison (Burlington, ON) lead the way. They are joined by the rest of their 2018 Olympic Games teammates in Kali Christ (Regina, SK), Marsha Hudey (White City, SK), Heather McLean (Winnipeg, MB), Brianne Tutt (Airdrie, AB) and Isabelle Weidemann (Ottawa, ON).

Béatrice Lamarche (Quebec City, QC), winner of five ISU World Junior Championship medals over a three-year period, leads a talented group of younger skaters looking to earn a full-time spot on the senior circuit.

Valérie Maltais (Saguenay, QC), a three-time Olympian and one of Canada’s most decorated short track skaters of the past decade, will compete in her first long track event after making the transition to the discipline this summer. Although she has only been training for a few months, the 28-year-old is looking to perform well enough to crack the World Cup roster in this her very first season.

On the men’s side, Ted-Jan Bloemen (Calgary, AB), a 2018 Olympic Games medalist in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, will be joined by two-time Olympian Gilmore Junio (Calgary, AB), and fellow 2018 Olympic teammates Alex Boisvert-Lacroix (Sherbrooke, QC), Jordan Belchos (Toronto, ON), Ben Donnelly (Oshawa, ON), Laurent Dubreuil (Lévis, QC) and Olivier Jean (Lachenaie, QC).

They will be challenged by an impressive group of young up-and-coming skaters led by 2018 ISU World Junior Championship standouts David La Rue (Saint-Lambert, QC) and Tyson Langelaar (Winnipeg, MB).

The event will be live streamed on the Calgary Olympic Oval’s YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/theolympicoval.

For more information on the event, including schedules and results, visit www.speedskating.ca/events/canadian-single-distance-championships.

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