Lethbridge speed skater wins gold at national championship

By Lethbridge Herald on February 8, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE SPEED 

SKATING ASSOCIATION 

Three Lethbridge speed skaters represented Alberta at the Canadian Youth Long Track Championships in Fort St. John, British Columbia on Feb. 4-5.

Those speed skaters were Claire Peake, Zosia Adelman, and Gavin Ogilvie.

Skaters from six divisions ranging in age from 11 to 13 competed in six events during the weekend.

The first event was a 500-meter Olympic style race.

This race involves two skaters at a time trying to register the fastest time possible at the distance. The skaters also participated in four mass start races, which involve a number of skaters racing against each other at the same time trying to cross the finish line first. Skaters participated in 300-meter, 1,000 meter, 1,500-meter, and seven lap (approximately three kilometers) mass start races. They also participated in a team pursuit event, in which teams of four or five skaters work together to try to get the fastest time possible in a 1600-meter race.

In the Youth Male 13 Division, Ogilvie captured six podium finishes and was the top overall performer.

 In the 500-meter race, Ogilvie set a national season best time of 42.45 seconds, capturing the gold medal in the process. Gavin also captured the gold medal in three of the mass start events – the 300-meter, 1500-meter, and seven lap races. To cap the weekend off, he earned a second-place finish in the 1000-meter event and a third-place finish for his efforts in the team pursuit.

In the Youth Female 11 Division, Peake competed in her first national level competition. She set a personal best in the 500-meter race and put-up quality times in the other events. The event was a major learning experience for Peake, and she left with much greater knowledge about the demands of competing at the national level.

 Adelman competed in the Youth Female 12 Division.

 She set a personal best in the 500-meter event, registering a time of 49.13 seconds. In a very competitive division, Adelaman placed in the top ten in a number of her races and finished 11th overall.

 The youth speed skaters will now turn their focus back to short track speed skating for the rest of the season. The next event for these skaters will be the RU Fast event in Calgary on Feb. 25 and 26.