Desmeules will support Canada’s short track national and development teams for the remainder of the 2022 Beijing Olympic quadrennial
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – Yannick Desmeules has been named an Assistant Coach with Canada’s national short track program until the end of the 2021-2022 season. His addition to the program will ensure that skaters who remain at the National Training Centre in Montreal throughout this busy final season of the Olympic quadrennial will have access to a full coaching staff contingent.
A native of Chicoutimi, Que., Desmeules was most recently head coach of the short track academy at the Gaétan-Boucher Training Centre in Quebec City, a role he has held since April 2020. Prior to that, he was a high performance coach with the former Regional Training Centre in Québec City from 2017 to 2020. In those roles, he was responsible for leading athletes during on-ice and off-ice training, while accompanying them to provincial and national level competitions. Desmeules’ was also a coach and program administrator with his hometown club – Les comètes de Chicoutimi – from 2009 to 2013.
The 24-year old Desmeules was a short track skater for nearly 16 years, reaching the provincial team level and training out of the Canadian Regional Training Centre (CRCE) in Montreal from 2014 to 2017. He is an NCCP Competition Development certified coach and is currently completing a Bachelor of Business Administration from Laval University.
In addition to Desmeules’ hiring, the national short track program announces that Jonathon Cavar has returned to a tactical coaching role with the National Program following a 10-month secondment as the lead staff member for Speed Skating Canada’s Athlete Development Pathway review. Jeffrey Scholten, who took over Cavar’s responsibilities while he was away, remains lead coach of the NextGen Team.
“I am really happy to be joining the Canadian national short track program and am excited to meet the athletes and work alongside the rest of the coaching staff. I hope to bring a positive energy to the team and help guide the group towards their objectives.” – Yannick Desmeules, Assistant Coach, Short Track National Team Program
“We’re really excited to welcome Yannick Desmeules to the National Short Track Program. With many of our coaches accompanying athletes at both national and international events this coming season, Yannick will be tasked with helping to train the skaters that remain at the National Training Centre in Montreal throughout the fall and winter months. This will help ensure the continued development of those skaters and allow the other members of our coaching staff to remain focused on the team’s final preparations for the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. This is an integral support role for our program, and we thank our partners at Own the Podium for helping us make this hiring a priority.” – Marc Schryburt, Director, High Performance – Short Track (Interim)
CONTACT
Alain Brouillette
Speed Skating Canada
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613-601-263