Annual Review - Olympic Oval - University of Calgary

Long Track
Coaches Message
Long Track Program
Since the 1988 Olympics in Calgary,
the Olympic Oval has been one of two
national training centres for long track
speed skating in Canada. This season
91 speed skaters trained with the
Olympic Oval’s High performance long
track program.
With thoughts of an Olympic year
approaching, the Olympic Oval slogan
“On Target for Torino” was running
through many people’s minds. The
Olympic Oval High Performance Long
Track Speed Skating Program headed
into the 2005-2006 season with
outstanding talent on skates, a
dedicated team of coaches and support
staff off the ice, and this slogan
embedded in their soul.
Overwhelmingly, this team
accomplished their goal and brought
home eight medals from the Olympics,
one third of Canada’s total medal count!
Teamwork was the key to our success.
Our team developed a commitment that
created a positive attitude and
inspiring environment, which the
athletes harnessed leading up to Torino.
The successes of our 17 Olympians
provided great examples of how hard
work, long days of training and
competition, and determination can lead
to amazing success. For our younger
skaters, the benefit of training with elite
athletes was evident in Canada’s strong
results at the Junior World
Championships in Erfurt, Germany.
The success of the Olympic Long Track
team filtered down through the different
levels of the sport, reaching the grass
roots where we have already started to
see an increase in interest in the sport.
As our focus now shifts to the 2010
Winter Olympics in Vancouver, our
accomplished team is again preparing
athletes to compete on the world stage,
this time in their own country. The
Olympic Oval continues to be the
premier long track speed skating
facility in the world for training and
competition. Seven of the twelve
current senior world records were
skated in the Olympic Oval, five of
which were set by Canadian athletes!
Initiatives such as the Own the Podium
program will bring increased funding
and opportunity to the sport over the
coming quadrennial. This focus on
developing young athletes will continue
to raise the bar that all future
Olympians will aim to beat. The
Olympic Oval coaches, athletes, and
support specialists will work together
over the next four years to produce
Canada’s strongest team on the “Road
to Vancouver 2010”.
Mark Wild
Associate Director of High
Performance Sport
Results
In its 19 year history, the 2005-2006
season was the most successful ever
yielding 17 Olympians, ten Olympic
medallists and 16 Olympic medals,
including Cindy Klassen’s record-breaking
five medals, two Team Pursuit team
medals and Christina Groves and Klara
Hughes individual medals.
2006 Winter Olympics
Arne Dankers Silver medal – men’s
team pursuit, 5th - 5,000M,
9th - 10,000M, 17th - 1,500M
Steven Elm Silver medal – men’s team
pursuit, 29th - 1000M, 12th - 1500M,
22nd - 5000M
Kristina Groves Silver medal - ladies’
team pursuit, Silver medal - 1500M,
8th - 3000M, 5th - 1000M, 6th - 5000M
Clara Hughes Gold medal - 5000M,
Silver medal -ladies’ team pursuit,
9th - 3000M
Mike Ireland 7th - 500M
Cindy Klassen Gold medal - 1500M,
Silver medal - 1000M,
Silver medal - ladies’ team pursuit,
Bronze medal - 5000M,
Bronze medal - 3000M
Brock Miron 28th - 500M
Denny Morrison Silver medal – men’s
team pursuit, 11th - 1500M,
19th - 1000M
Krisy Myers 22nd - 500M
Christine Nesbitt Silver medal - ladies’
team pursuit, 7th - 1500M,
14th – 1,000M
Jason Parker Silver medal – men’s
team pursuit
Shannon Rempel Silver medal -
ladies’ team pursuit, 16th - 500M,
24th – 1,000M
Kerry Simpson 21st - 500M
Justin Warsylewicz Silver medal
– men’s team pursuit, 27th - 1500M,
24th - 5000M
Kim Weger 26th - 500M
Jeremy Wotherspoon 9th - 500M,
11th - 1000M
Teamwork was the key as the men captured silver in the Team Pursuit in Torino. (L-R on the ice: Justin
Warsylewicz, Denny Morrison and Arne Dankers, not on the ice, but on the team; Jason Parker and
Steven Elm). Photo by Arno Hoogveld.
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