Fort St. John’s Speed Skater Denny Morrison did what no one wants to do. he was a short 50 metres away from gaining his spot on the Canadian Olympic team in the 1,000 metres on Monday, when disaster happened.
He has his mind set on qualification and making the Canadian squad, when he was in the outer lane, nearing the finish.
His one skate on the cross over clipped his skates together causing him to fall entering the final turn on, entering only the second day of the Olympic trials for Canada’s long track team.
Although he was given a re-skate his time of one minute 09.04 only gave him the fifth fastest time, which leaves him on the outside with Canada given only four berths in the distance in Sochi.
He stated “I was already thinking I’ve already qualified for the Olympics.” But on the re-skate he stated “I knew it was always going to be a tough task to replicate a winning performance since he was essentially skating ‘on a half tank of gas.”
The result does not spell the end of Morrison’s Olympic dreams however and the 1,000 metres was one of his preferred events with 23-career medals on the World Cup circuit.
He still has a chance to qualify through the 1,500 metres, which is one he excels in and actually prefers, does not take place later in the week.
He is a two-time World Champion in the 1,500, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for him in the event, cause he’ll be focused.
When he was finished his media obligations or duties, he went to see his Parents and Brother Jay, who also is a (former) speed skater.
He is looking for a spot in his third Olympics, and he currently has a Silver from the team pursuit from the 2006 Olympics in Turin and Gold from the team pursuit in Vancouver.
He still has his sights set on an individual Olympic medal as it is something missing his collection, despite having numerous World Championship medals.
Ottawa’s Vincent de Haitre (19) is the one that gain’s for Morrison’s mishap as he (Vincent) skated the race of his life in taking about half a second off his previous personal winning in a time of 1:08.37.
Vincent is now the National Champion in the 1,000 metres in long-track speed skating, in addition to the 1,000 metre time trial (called the Kilo) in track cycling.
Quebec City’s Muncef Ouardi finished in second place (1:08.78), Gilmore Junio of Calgary was third (1:08.87) and William Dutton of Humbolt, Sask., finished in fourth (1:08.94).
Jeremy Wotherspoon managed a sixth place in the 500 metres, chose not to compete on Monday and has likely skated competitively for the final time. A huge loss to the sport.
Canada’s Olympic long-track speedskating team will consist of ten (10) women and eight (8) men in all disciplines, but will not be announced until Jan. 22.
In the women’s 1,000 metres, London Ontario’s Christine Nesbitt won her second distance of the trial and after winning the 500 metres she also won the 1,000 in a time of 1:14.19.
Nesbitt is the defending Olympic gold medallist in the distance but has had a difficult year to date and in two 1,000 metre races on the World Cup this year, she has failed to finish in the top-10.
This saw her lose her world record in the 1,000 to American Brittany Bowe.
Nesbitt should be joined by Olympic debutantes Kali Christ and Kaylin Irvine.
Christ, from Regina, and Irvine, of Calgary, finished in second and third with times of 1:15.27, and 1:15.86, respectively.
Brittany Schussler, who won the 3,000 metres, but did just enough to grab a spot in her second distance in Sochi.
She finished fourth with a time of 1:15.98.
