Speed Skating Canada – Competitions will be held this weekend, March 10-11, in Amsterdam, Netherlands                                                                                      

Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 7, 2018 – The 2018 10,000m Olympic Champion and silver medalist in the 5,000m Ted-Jan Bloemen of Calgary, along with Ivanie Blondin of Ottawa, Denny Morrison of Fort St. John, B.C., and Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu of Sherbrooke, QC, will be the four Canadian representatives at the ISU World Allround Championships to be held March 10-11, in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

This year’s ISU World Allround Championships will be special as they will mark the 125th anniversary of the competition which was held for the first time in 1893 at the Museum Square in Amsterdam. To commemorate this historic event, the competition this year will be held outdoors on a dubbed original oval specially created in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium.

Skaters will first take part in the 500m, 1500m, women’s 3000m and men’s 5000m events. Following these three individual events, the first eight per gender in the overall ranking will then take part in the women’s 5000m or men’s 10,000m events to get additional points in order to crown an overall champion.

The 500m, women’s 3000m and men’s 5000m will be held Saturday, while the 1500m, women’s 5000m and men’s 10,000m event are scheduled Sunday. There are no medals for each individual distance, only based on the final ranking at the end of the competition.

Ted-Jan Bloemen, also world record holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m, did not take part in this competition last season. He finished fifth overall in 2016, however.

“I’m a bit tired after the Olympics, but this competition is still one that I look forward to. It will be held in the Olympic Stadium from the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. There’s a temporary ice track on top of the running track. This will make for a really special environment with a massive crowd,” explained Bloemen, who broke the world record in the 5000m in December and won five medals in the 5000m and 10,000m events this season on the international scene.

Ivanie Blondin, who is the current overall World Cup leader in the 3000m, took the 12th spot in the final ranking of the World Allround Championships last year in Hamar, Norway. Blondin won three medals in the 3000m and 5000m World Cup events this season in addition to capturing sixth and fifth spot in the 3000m and 5000m races, respectively, at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games.

Denny Morrison, who is coming off his fourth Olympic Games, will be racing in this competition for the first time since 2015, where he finished seventh overall. He is currently ranked 10th in the 1500m in World Cup standings.

“After completing my fourth Olympics, I’ll be capping off my unbelievable recovery over the past three years with these World Allround Championships. It’s been a long road but growing up speed skating and racing outdoors in the tough conditions of Fort St. John, B.C., has been a big contributing factor as to what has made my recovery such a success,” said Denny Morrison.

“Holland is like the Mecca of speedskating and this upcoming outdoor competition in Amsterdam promises to have an incredible atmosphere. I haven’t skated outside in years, but this opportunity will take me back to that amazing sensation of skating through the elements and why I fell in love with speed skating so many years ago in the first place.”

Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu will be making his debut at the World Allround Championships. He competed in the 1500m and 5000m in the fall World Cups this season.

Members of the Canadian Team at the 2018 ISU World Allround Championships

WOMEN

-BLONDIN, Ivanie (Ottawa, ON)

MEN


-BLOEMEN, Ted-Jan (Calgary, AB)

-GELINAS-BEAULIEU, Antoine (Sherbrooke, QC)

-MORRISON, Denny (Fort St-John, BC)

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

– 30 –

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