Speed Skating Canada – Long Track Speed Skating Coach Marcel Lacroix will be back with the Canadian Team toward the 2018 Olympic Games.

After leading short and long track skaters to six Olympic medals in Nagano in 1998, Torino in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010, including gold in men’s team pursuit, Marcel Lacroix will come back to a coaching position on the Canadian Long Track Team starting today until after the 2018 Olympic Games.

Lacroix, Associate Sport Director at Calgary’s Olympic Oval since 2011, will fill a coaching position available since the departure of Xiuli Wang who accepted a position on the Long Track National Team in her homeland, China.

On the road to PyeongChang, Marcel Lacroix will train a group of women made up of National Program and Olympic Oval athletes who work on middle and long distances with a focus on the Women’s Team Pursuit.

“When I was approached by Speed Skating Canada and asked to help our team’s final preparation towards PyeongChang, at first I was surprised and honoured all at the same time”, said Marcel Lacroix, inducted in the Canadian Olympic Committee Hall of Fame in 2014. “After a short reflection and knowing the potential of those skaters and the Women’s Team Pursuit, I said yes because I truly believe that my experience, leadership and passion will make a significant difference in their preparation.”

“Throughout those years as a coach I’ve learned to understand what it took to “win” and that’s exactly what I want them to know and feel. To feel is to be”, continued Lacroix.

“Speed Skating Canada is really glad to see an experienced and respected coach as Marcel Lacroix to be back on our Long Track National Team in the last stretch toward the 2018 Olympic Games, said Speed Skating Canada’s Chief Executive Officer, Susan Auch. His passion and expertise will definitively be an asset for our organization that is looking for a performance reflecting our tradition of excellence and to improve from the last Games. I would also like to thank Calgary’s Olympic Oval that made this nomination possible for the upcoming Olympic year.”

“Calgary’s Olympic Oval is very proud to contribute and support Speed Skating Canada in its Olympic preparation,” said the Director of the Olympic Oval, Yves Hamelin. “We strongly believe that Marcel Lacroix will be a natural asset and we wish the best of luck to the team in preparation for PyeongChang.”

More information is available at Speed Skating Canada’s website: www.speedskating.ca.

About Speed Skating Canada

Speed Skating Canada (SSC) is the governing body for competitive long track and short track speed skating in Canada. Founded in 1887, the association is comprised of 13 provincial and territorial branches representing more than 14,000 individual members, and counting. SSC believes that sport is an apprenticeship for life and prizes respect for others, integrity, excellence of effort, as well as a safe, healthy environment. 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.

SSC is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values including our premium sponsors Intact Insurance, as well as our funding partners, the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, City of Montreal, Calgary Olympic Oval and WinSport Canada.
 

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For information:

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

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