2016 ISU Long Track World Single Distance Championships

Thanks to Speed Skating Canada for letting us know how our Olympic Athletes are advancing in the world of speed skating for the next event.

Canada will send 19 athletes to the 2016 ISU Long Track World Single Distance Championships to be held February 11-14, in Kolomna, Russia.

At the World Single Distance Championships, champions are crowned in the following men’s and women’s events: 500m (based on the cumulative time of the two events), 1000m, 1500m, 5000m, mass start and team pursuit, as well as women’s 5000m and men’s 10,000m.

2015-2016 Canadian World Cups individual medalists Ted-Jan Bloemen (Calgary), Ivanie Blondin (Ottawa), Alex Boisvert-Lacroix (Sherbrooke), William Dutton (Humboldt), Gilmore Junio (Calgary), Heather McLean (Winnipeg) and Alexandre St-Jean of Quebec City.

They will lead the Canadian team in this competition to be held right in the middle of the Olympic cycle leading to the 2018 Games.

In the men’s 500m, Boisvert-Lacroix, Junio and Dutton are second, third and seventh respectively in the 2015-2016 World Cup Overall ranking. Boisvert-Lacroix and Dutton both won four medals so far in five World Cups in the 500m, while Junio climbed the podium twice.

Like Boisvert-Lacroix, it will be the first-ever World Single Distance Championships for Dutton, Ben Donnelly (Oshawa), Brianne Tutt (Airdrie), Isabelle Weidemann (Ottawa), Stefan Waples (Winnipeg).

As well as for Alexandre St-Jean who won a silver medal in the 500m at the World Cup in Inzell, Germany and in Kolomna, he will compete in the 1000m.

In the women’s 500m, Heather McLean won her second bronze medal of the season two weeks ago at the World Cup #5 in Stavanger, Norway. She is currently seventh in the World Cup overall ranking in that distance.

The 2014-2015 World Cup Champion in the Mass Start event and silver medalist in the same event at the 2015 World Single Distance Championships, Ivanie Blondin, will look to be on the podium again this year.

In Kolomna, she will take part in the mass start, 3000m and 5000m individual events. So far in five World Cups, Blondin won a bronze medal in the 5000m in Salt Lake City, as well as two silver and two bronze medals in mass start.

Ted-Jan Bloemen, who celebrated his return to competition two weeks ago in Norway with a bronze medal in the 5000m following a lacerated left tibia, will aim to repeat his performance in Kolomna.

Bloemen will also compete in the 10,000m which he broke the World Record at this season’s World Cup in Salt Lake City.

All athletes qualified following their performances at the Fall World Cups, Canadian Single Distance Championships or at the World Cup #5 in Norway.

Competition begin’s February 11, with the Women’s 3000m and men’s 10,000m.

Friday, the women’s 1000m and 5000m as well as the men’s 1500m and team pursuit are scheduled, followed, Saturday, by the men’s 1000m and 5000m, and women’s 500m and team pursuit.

The men’s 500m, women’s 1500m and mass start events will end the competition.

Canada won four medals last year in Heerenveen, where Denny Morrison won a Silver medal in the 1500m.

In addition to the Silver medal in the team pursuit with Ted-Jan Bloemen and Jordan Belchos, while Laurent Dubreuil took bronze in the 500m and Ivanie Blondin, silver in the mass start. Since the first event in 1996, Canada has won 72 medals.

Members of the Canadian National Team at the 2016 ISU World Single Distance Championships:

WOMEN                                                               –

• BLONDIN, Ivanie (Ottawa) – 3000m, 5000m, Mass Start, Team Pursuit
• CHRIST, Kali (Regina) – 1500m
• HUDEY, Marsha (White City, SK) – 500m
• IRVINE, Kaylin (Calgary) – 1000m
• McLEAN, Heather (Winnipeg) – 500m, Mass Start
• REMPEL, Shannon (Winnipeg) – 500m
• SPENCE, Josie (Kamloops) – 1500m, Team Pursuit
• TUTT, Brianne (Airdrie) – 1500m, Team Pursuit
• WEIDEMANN, Isabelle (Ottawa) – 3000m, 5000m

MEN

• BELCHOS, Jordan (Toronto) – 5000m, 10,000m, Mass Start, Team Pursuit
• BLOEMEN, Ted-Jan (Calgary) – 5000m, 10,000m, Team Pursuit
• BOISVERT-LACROIX, Alex (Sherbrooke) – 500m
• De HAÎTRE, Vincent (Cumberland, ON) – 1000m, 1500m
• DONNELLY, Ben (Oshawa) – 1500m, Team Pursuit
• DUTTON, William (Humboldt) – 500m
• JUNIO, Gilmore (Calgary) – 500m
• MACLENNAN, Richard (Sault Ste. Marie) – 1000m
• ST-JEAN, Alexandre (Quebec City) – 1000m
• WAPLES, Stefan (Winnipeg) – Mass Start