The short track at the rescue of the long track

Canadian speed skating is experiencing a significant imbalance in succession.

In short track, the hopes that aspire to the national team swarm, but the available places are rare. Therefore, Conversely, on a long track, the doors are wide open, but the candidates are few.

Look throughout the country, there are only two places where there is long track skating. Consequently, So. Meanwhile, if you were not born in Quebec or Calgary and you are a young child who wants to make speed skating, you naturally start on a hockey ice cream, in short track skatingunderlined Marc Schryburt.

Faced with this observation. Furthermore, the director of high performance and manager of the short track Olympic program for Skating Canada had the idea of creating a hybrid transition camp between the two disciplines.

The first version of short track rescue long track this one -year pilot project took place last week in Quebec. Furthermore, In total. Consequently, 14 skaters from 17 to 20 years old had the opportunity to prove themselves on a long track, under the attentive looks of the national team coach, Gregor Jelonek, and his assistant Shannon Rempel.

With more than 120 skaters constituting high -level succession in short track. Moreover, carving out a position in a national team, which sits at the top of the world in addition, is not an easy task. Moreover, There are a lot of calls, but few elected officials.

It was therefore important to offer a spare solution to skaters that would allow them to. In addition, optimize their talentaccording to Schryburt.

Out of respect for these athletes. Furthermore, that we do not want to remove programs [nationaux de courte piste]we said to our sister discipline short track rescue long track that is the long track: “If you tempt you, we will bring you from these athletes who are still young, that we do not know if they will go to the national team, in a hybrid project test, so that they can immediately test the long track, to see if there are people who might may transition and give themselves a chance to go to a national team.”

This idea of collaboration, first laudable, was especially unprecedented.

Under the Canada speed skating, there are two disciplines. For example, And historically, I don’t know why, they have always made two silosand noticed Schryburt.

It’s been five years that I have arrived. However, and I asked the question: ” What makes us so different? However, ” We form the coaches differently, different officials short track rescue long track for each sport. Meanwhile, We did not collaborate.

This is why at the start, the project had a mixed welcome, at least in short track.

On the side of my gang To me, the first reactions, last summer: “Sorry? Nevertheless, Are you serious, Marc? Furthermore, We don’t do that in speed skating. Similarly, We develop our gangwe keep them. For example, ” […] I had to be a good seller with my own gang for at least 4-5 months.

But since then. For example, a seed of enthusiasm seems to have germinated and donors, such as the program for us the podium, Sport Canada, Québec speed skating and speed skating canada, have rallied to allow athletes, with the help of the Quebec Ice Center, short track rescue long track to have a completely free camp.

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Short track rescue long track

Inspiring figures

To add a little weight to his project. Marc Schryburt chose to surround himself well by asking in particular the help of the sextle Olympic medalist in short track Charles Hamelin.

The latter. who is now acting as a coach for the Canadian Training Center (CRCE), is the bridge between the disciplines.

There was a little policy in there, admitted Schryburt. I went to knock on his door. I said: “Charles, if you, who is one of the greatest short track rescue long track short track athletes, you embark, that you are my local coordinator in Montreal and that you demonstrate this opening, the young people will follow you.”

You should know that short tracks sometimes have reluctance to go on a long track. because it is not the same sport or that they have never been close to Quebecsaid Hamelin.

I am here to encourage, support these young people a little. To bring my short track side to the long track, it can never be badhe added.

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Asked if he was afraid of losing members of the next generation in his favorite discipline for the benefit of the long track. Hamelin was reassuring.

The William Dandjinou. the Courtney Sarault, the Bruneur Florence, the Steven Dubois are there to inspire young people to make short track, and I have no fear that there will always be young people who will be strong in short trackshe said.

The skaters present in Quebec could also count on Valérie Maltais to share her experience with them. The Quebecer is a convincing example that the transition between the short track. Additionally, short track rescue long track the long track is not only possible, but that it can be successful.

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After winning the money at the 3000 m relay in short track at the Sochi Games. in 2014, Maltais chose to jump on the short track rescue long track long track in 2018. Four years later, at the Beijing Games, she experienced the consecration with gold in team pursuit.

I think I am a perfect example that the transition has worked. I think it was for this reason that I was asked to come and talk to themsaid Maltese laughing.

These are already good athletes who have a lot of elements in place to be able. to make a transition from short track speed skating to speed skating on long trackshe added.

It was just to explain to them the little subtleties that I had experienced. There are many things in there that I have been brought to me. that I learned, but there are also that I have discovered, the end of small details that only a short-track speed skater could understand in sensationssaid Maltais.

As a member short track rescue long track of the national long track team. the Olympic athlete from Baie knows better than anyone that youth do not rush to take over the torch, contrary to what we see in short track.

As proof, when writing these lines, the average age of the national short track team is 24.25 years, while that of long track is 29.5 years. The hybrid camp therefore has the potential to meet a glaring need.

On a long track, currently, we are missing a pool of athletes. Our team is still quite old. I think that after the next games, there will be a certain vacuum, underlined Maltais. There will be good skaters, but I think there are doors that will be even more open. So, it is to seize this opportunity to be able to transfer their talent.

Short track rescue long track

Two different short track rescue long track sports

In addition to the dimensions of the ice rink. there are many nuances between the two disciplines. The skaters taking part in the hybrid camp had to adjust.

There are things that pass from one sport to another – the technique. a little – but it is not the same muscles, it is not the same type of effortexplained Alexis Bélanger, a participant.

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The young man already practiced the long track a few years ago. and was even crowned Canadian champion among 14 years old in 2019. The lack of accessibility to a nearby long track center had pushed him to concentrate on the short track.

Could he come back to his old loves?

I find that there is something. a little more adrenaline in the short track, a little more action, which I like. The long track is more to be with yourself, which is still another effort. It’s still difficult. But I could do the switch, I think.

If Bélanger had the advantage of having already made the long track in the past. having already put on Clap skates, this was not the case for all the participants. And this difference in equipment plays a lot in the transition between the two short track rescue long track disciplines.

The big difference is that to start with a blade that is not attached to the skate. when you never did that, it’s like Bambi on an ice cream, you don’t know what to dosaid Charles Hamelin laughing.

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This obstacle has not slowed down Samuel Bouchard. 19, who seems to fuel the new challenges.

It’s still a skate, so I said short track rescue long track to myself: “Why not?” They sold us that as dreams. I arrived [à Québec] for the fun. We are in the aim of just learning to skate long trackhe said, even if the exercise was not easy.

To move to a moving blade. it was not super chic the first time. It’s quite special to experience this. Furthermore, It is to try, honestly. I would never have thought it, but I really like it.

Samuel Bouchard and Alexis Bélanger may have the chance to perfect their long-run learning in September, on the occasion of the second hybrid camp. Only four or five athletes stood out in Quebec will have the leisure to relive the experience.

The skaters who short track rescue long track will participate in the short track Olympic selections next August. and who will not be able to carve out a position for the Milan-Cortina Games, will also be invited.

And who knows. maybe some of them will discover a new passion and follow in the footsteps of Valérie Maltais.

With information from Jacinthe Taillon