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Three Teams Boast Short Track Triumphs
2007, February 28th:
Team Ontario was all smiles after day one of the short track speed skating races, claiming two gold medals.
Ontario's 16-year-old Ivanie Blondin took gold in the 1500 meter final, chopping 2.7 seconds off the Canada Games record set in 2003. An hour later, Blondin's teammate Nicolas Bean, aged 19, also took gold in the1500 meter event.
Following his skate to victory, Bean's "squeaky" comments to news reporters revealed the fact he was suffering from a severe case of laryngitis.
Team Northwest Territories also had a pleasant surprise on day one when Jill Gilday qualified for the 1500 meter finals. Gilday's 6th place standing is one of the strongest finishes achieved in the Canada Games by a North of 60 speed skater.
The big news for day two was the fantastic performance of Quebec's Marianne St-Gelais in the 500 meter event. After beating the Canada Games record by 0.4 of a second during the "heats" round, St-Gelais continued to improve upon her own time during the quarter and semi finals to finally win gold and chop the 2003 record yet again by a whopping 2.3 seconds. Her spectacular finish places her within one second of the senior women's Canadian record, currently held by Alanna Kraus.
St-Gelais' triumph in besting the previous 500 meter record was shared by NWT's Jill Gilday and eight other quarter finalists – attesting to an exciting meet and great ice.
Quebec teammates Guillaume Blais-Dufour and Andre Vincent, and Ontario's Nicolas Bean, also topped a Canada Games record in the 500 meter distance. Blais-Dufour clocked in at 42.776 seconds to win gold.
Ontario's 16-year-old Ivanie Blondin took gold in the 1500 meter final, chopping 2.7 seconds off the Canada Games record set in 2003. An hour later, Blondin's teammate Nicolas Bean, aged 19, also took gold in the1500 meter event.
Following his skate to victory, Bean's "squeaky" comments to news reporters revealed the fact he was suffering from a severe case of laryngitis.
Team Northwest Territories also had a pleasant surprise on day one when Jill Gilday qualified for the 1500 meter finals. Gilday's 6th place standing is one of the strongest finishes achieved in the Canada Games by a North of 60 speed skater.
The big news for day two was the fantastic performance of Quebec's Marianne St-Gelais in the 500 meter event. After beating the Canada Games record by 0.4 of a second during the "heats" round, St-Gelais continued to improve upon her own time during the quarter and semi finals to finally win gold and chop the 2003 record yet again by a whopping 2.3 seconds. Her spectacular finish places her within one second of the senior women's Canadian record, currently held by Alanna Kraus.
St-Gelais' triumph in besting the previous 500 meter record was shared by NWT's Jill Gilday and eight other quarter finalists – attesting to an exciting meet and great ice.
Quebec teammates Guillaume Blais-Dufour and Andre Vincent, and Ontario's Nicolas Bean, also topped a Canada Games record in the 500 meter distance. Blais-Dufour clocked in at 42.776 seconds to win gold.
