Speed Skating Canada – Calgary, June 4, 2018 – Speed Skating Canada is proud to announce the hiring of Remmelt Eldering as a member of Canada’s Long Track Speed Skating National Team coaching staff.

Eldering, from the Netherlands, led 22 year-old skater Esmee Visser to the 2018 Olympic gold medal in the 5000m.

“I feel really excited about this opportunity,” said Remmelt Eldering. “It is an honour to be able to coach at the best facility in the world with some of the best skaters in the world.”

Eldering started coaching at the elite level in speed skating in 2008 with a masters group in Heerenveen. In 2011, he also coached talented young skaters at a skate academy in Groningen. The year after, he moved to Winnipeg as the provincial coach for the Manitoba Speed Skating Association where he led Tyson Langelaar, a World Junior Championships medalist in the past two years, to a Canada Winter Games gold medal in the mass start event.

In 2015, Eldering returned to the Netherlands to be Head Coach at the Regional Training Center – North, where he stayed until accepting the position with the Canadian National Program in Calgary. He started on June 4.

“On behalf of Speed Skating Canada, I would like to welcome back Remmelt Eldering to Canada,” said National Long Track Team High Performance Director Cara Thibault. “We have an excellent team of coaches working with our National Program and NextGen athletes, and we are confident Remmelt will be a strong addition to our program as we drive for top performances at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.”

“We are assembling the best team in the world building towards Beijing 2022,” added Speed Skating Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, Shawn Holman. “With Remmelt in place, coupled with our current team of Canadian Long Track National Team coaches, we are well-positioned to build on our podium performances for 2022 and beyond.”

“Over the years, I feel like I have learned what is needed to become a High Performance athlete,” said Eldering. “Before that, I stayed for almost three years in Manitoba to learn about the Canadian speed skating system. Some of the skaters I coached there are now skating in Calgary; it will be great catching up with them again. I have had good experiences with Canada, when I was a skater and when I was a coach. I loved the mentality of the athletes and I am looking forward to add to that in a positive way.”

Eldering has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Applied Sciences NHL Hogeschool. He is a Level 4 coach in the Netherlands.

More details are available at Speed Skating Canada’s web site at www.speedskating.ca.

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