Recap of Canadian Short Track Juniors

By Kelly Sharp

Tearful Valerie Lambert showed the emotion of skating well but not quite well enough to snare the final position on the Canadian junior women short track speed skating team. A composed Nicolas Bean expressed relief in securing a second consecutive trip to the World juniors. So goes a weekend of intense racing at the Canadian Short Track Junior Championship in Prince George.

Lambert finished second overall to Quebec teammate Valerie Maltais who put her stamp on the Canadian junior team by winning the 1500m and 1000m finals. Maltais will join Jessica Gregg of Alberta and Ivanie Blondin of Ontario who already qualified for the World short track junior championship set for February in the Czech Republic.

Despite a controversial disqualification in the 1,000m semi-final, 19 year-old Nicolas Bean of Ottawa earned the third and final position on the Canadian junior men short track team. Bean says he had plenty of bad luck racing in Prince George but is targeting a medal at the World juniors. Last year, the Ontario speed skater finished eighth and fifteenth on the international stage.

 Bean will join Vincent Andre and Maxime Fortin of Quebec on the Canadian junior mens team. Andre and Fortin finished 1-2 respectively in the overall standings.

All three speed skaters from the host Prince George Blizzard soaked up the experience of first-ever junior Nationals. Fifteen year-old Phillip Shrimpton found out the night before the meet he would be racing at the Canadian championship.

“I was pretty much prepared for it when told about a possible scratch,” Shrimpton said.

“It’s a challenge kicking up to the next level”

Shrimpton recorded a personal best time in the 1500m.

Fourteen year-old Sarah Pousette was all smiles about her first place finish in the division three 1,000m.

“I know I need to work on passing,” Pousette said.

 She admired the skill level on display over the weekend.

Fourteen year-old Modian Thiessen of the Prince George Blizzard skated to a personal best in the 1,000m.

“I was really nervous at the beginning,” Thiessen said.

“It was really exciting.”

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