Speed Skating Canada – Men’s National Team also named for the World Championships

 

Montreal, January 25, 2016 – Speed Skating Canada announced today the list of National Short Track Team skaters who will leave the country on Saturday, January 30, and travel to Europe to take part in the two Winter World Cups, to be held in Dresden, Germany, February 5-7, and the following week in Dordrecht, Netherlands.

 

For the first World Cup in Dresden, the following skaters have been added to the list of athletes who were automatically selected following the Canadian Senior Championships held January 15-17 in Montreal to the Canadian team for the two Winter World Cups: Audrey Phaneuf of Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Namasthée Harris-Gauthier of Montréal (Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie borough), QC, and Jamie MacDonald of Fort St. James, B.C, on the women’s side, in addition to Sasha Fathoullin of Calgary, AB, François Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, QC, and William Preudhomme of Toronto, ON, on the men’s side.

 

They will join Marianne St-Gelais of Saint-Félicien, QC, Valérie Maltais of Saguenay (La Baie borough), QC, Kasandra Bradette of Saint-Félicien, QC, Charles Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, QC, Samuel Girard of Ferland-et-Boilleau, QC, and Charle Cournoyer of Boucherville, QC, who were already named on the team following their performances at the Canadian Senior Championships.

 

The team will then go to Dordrecht, Netherlands, the following week for the last World Cup of the season, except for Charles Hamelin and Samuel Girard who will fly back to Montreal to focus on preparing for the World Championships, which will be held March 11-13 in Seoul, South Korea, as they will be the only skaters to represent Canada in the men’s individual distances.

 

Patrick Duffy of Oakville, ON, and Cédrik Blais of Châteauguay, QC, will replace them.

 

For Blais, 19 years old, it will be his first-ever World Cup. He took part last year in the Winter Universiade.

 

“I was really happy when they told me I could take part in the sixth World Cup. I was expecting a little bit this year to skate in one of them, but I had a bad competition at the Fall World Cup Selections. I was really happy to do well at the Canadian Senior Championships and the fact they noticed I did well.”

 

“For Dordrecht, the main goal is a medal. But to take part in an A or B final will be very good. It’s not valuable to go there thinking we will lose!”  

 

In addition to the 500m, 1000m, 1500m and relay events, which will take place at both Winter World Cups, a second 1500m event is scheduled in Dresden and an additional 1000m event will be held in Dordrecht.

 

World Championship men’s team

At the 2016 World Championships, Charles Hamelin and Samuel Girard will lead the men’s Canadian team as the representatives in the individual distances. Other than the world title, Hamelin, as well as Girard, will also be looking to finish among the top 16 in overall standings during the competition in order to win a third spot for Canada in the individual distances at the 2017 World Championships.

 

Charle Cournoyer, Sasha Fathoullin and François Hamelin will round out the men’s team for the relay event. They respectively finished third, fourth and fifth in the combined ranking that took into account results from the 2016 Canadian Senior Championships – which counted for 80% of total points –, as well as from the Fall World Cup Selections or the Canadian Open National Qualifier – which counted for 20%.

 

On the women’s side, Marianne St-Gelais, who will be looking to win a world title in at least one event, as well as Valérie Maltais will be skating in the individual distances.

 

Kasandra Bradette and Audrey Phaneuf will also be in Seoul and, at the two last World Cups of the season, will battle for the third and last spot available for the individual distance in the women’s side.

 

The fifth Canadian spot, which will also be allocated for the relay events, will go to Namasthée Harris-Gauthier or Jamie MacDonald following analysis of their performances at the Winter World Cups.

 

Members of the Canadian team for the ISU World Cup Short Track #5 in Dresden, Germany:

 

WOMEN

-BRADETTE, Kasandra (Saint-Félicien, QC)

-HARRIS-GAUTHIER, Namasthée (Montréal, Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie borough, QC)

-MACDONALD, Jamie (Fort St. James, B.C.)

-MALTAIS, Valérie (Saguenay, La Baie borough, QC)

-PHANEUF, Audrey (Boucherville, QC)

-ST-GELAIS, Marianne (Saint-Félicien, QC)

 

MEN

-COURNOYER, Charle (Boucherville, QC)

-FATHOULLIN, Sasha (Calgary, AB)

-GIRARD, Samuel (Ferland-et-Boilleau, QC)

-HAMELIN, Charles (Sainte-Julie, QC)

-HAMELIN, François (Sainte-Julie, QC)

-PREUDHOMME, William (Toronto, ON)

 

Members of the Canadian team for the ISU World Cup Short Track #6 in Dordrecht, Netherlands:

 

WOMEN

-BRADETTE, Kasandra (Saint-Félicien, QC)

-HARRIS-GAUTHIER, Namasthée (Montréal, Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie borough, QC)

-MACDONALD, Jamie (Fort St. James, B.C.)

-MALTAIS, Valérie (Saguenay, La Baie borough, QC)

-PHANEUF, Audrey (Boucherville, QC)

-ST-GELAIS, Marianne (Saint-Félicien, QC)

 

MEN

-BLAIS, Cédrik (Châteauguay, QC)
-COURNOYER, Charle (Boucherville, QC)
-DUFFY, Patrick (Oakville, QC)
-FATHOULLIN, Sasha (Calgary, AB)
-HAMELIN, François (Sainte-Julie, QC)
-PREUDHOMME, William (Toronto, ON)

 

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 and Samsung, as well as our funding partners, the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, 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 

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