Two ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą students to skate for Canada in China
By Earl Zukerman, ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą & Michel BĂ©langer, CIS
OTTAWA – ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą students Nita Avrith, a third-year physiology major
from Westmount, and Annik Plamondon of Longueuil, Que., are among
five women on the Canadian short track speed skating squad heading
to the 24th Winter Universiade this weekend in Harbin, China.
Avrith and Plamondon are both back for a second trip to the
Universiade. Avrith reached the quarterfinal round of the 500-metre
event in 2007, while Plamondon reached the quarterfinals in the
1500m.
Canada is sending a five-man, five-woman short track contingent to
the event -- sometimes referred to as the World University Games --
and many of Team Canada’s best medal hopes at the games will come
from the athletes competing at the Skating Gym at the University of
Science and Technology.
Led by manager Mark Mathies and coach Stephen Gough, a 1998 ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą
graduate, the latest edition of Canada’s university short track
team is a good bet to better the podium performance of the 2007
Winter Universiade squad. Two years ago in Torino, Italy, Laval’s
Anne Maltais won Canada’s only medal in the sport, earning a bronze
in the women’s 500m.
While this year’s group will be hard pressed to challenge the
record, 17-medal haul enjoyed by Canada at 1985 Universiade in
Belluno, Italy, the 2009 group may very well take a shot at the
medal totals posted by Canada’s speed skaters at the 2003 games in
Tarvisio, Italy. That year, Concordia’s Jeff Scholten, Calgary’s
Daryl Rasmussen and Marc-André Monette of College Ahuntsic each won
two medals with Scholten claiming gold in the men’s 500m.
“There are two or three athletes on this year’s team who are on the
threshold of breaking through on the international scene,” said
Speed Skating Canada communications manager Mylène Croteau.
Université de Montréal’s Valérie Lambert and Collège de
Maisonneuve’s Marie-Andrée Mendes-Campeau, both of Montreal, and
University of Calgary’s Gabrielle Waddell of Red Deer, Alta., round
out the women’s roster.
On the men’s side, Guillaume Bastille of Rivière-du-Loup, Que.,
could be the one to watch in the individual competition. A member
of the national senior team, Bastille (UQAM) won three bronze
medals in a World Cup event in February 2008 – two in the 1000m and
one in the relay. He finished the 2007-08 World Cup season ranked
14th in the 1000m, and was a silver medalist in the overall
standings at the 2008 Canadian Open championships.
Fellow UQAM skater Alex Boisvert-Lacroix of Sherbrooke, Que., also
has the potential to post impressive results in Harbin. After
bursting onto the national scene in 2007 with a surprise 500m win
at a National Team Selection event, Boisvert-Lacroix followed it up
with a silver medal in the relay and bronze medal in the 500m in
his first ever World Cup event.
“Guillaume and Alex are in a group of athletes who are right on the
edge of making it to the World Cup circuit on a full-time basis,”
said Croteau. “Right now we have eight or nine men consistently
fighting it out for the spots on the World Cup team. At any given
time, all of them could be considered for a spot on the
international stage. The Universiade will provide these athletes
with another opportunity to make a name for themselves at a top-end
international competition.”
Richard Shoebridge of Cambridge, Ont., is the lone returning
athlete from the 2007 Universiade. The University of Calgary
student qualified for the quarterfinals of both the 500m and 1500m
events in Torino.
Fellow U of C skaters Tyler Derraugh of Winnipeg and Liam McFarlane
of Medicine Hat, Alta., join Shoebridge on the men’s Universiade
team. Derraugh competed at the 2003 Canada Winter Games for Team
Manitoba and is a member of Speed Skating Canada’s Talent 2014
development squad. McFarlane is a member of Canada’s National
development team, and was 11th overall at the first National Team
selection event in 2007-08, finishing sixth in the 500m.
Canada’s participation in the Universiade is managed by the CIS
International Programs.
Team Canada website:
2009 Winter Universiade website:
TEAM CANADA ROSTER: WOMEN
Name University / College Hometown
Nita Avrith ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Montreal, Que.
Valérie Lambert Montréal Montreal, Que.
Marie-Andrée Mendes-Campeau Collège Maisonneuve Montreal,
Que.
Annik Plamondon Montréal Longueuil, Que.
Gabrielle Waddell Calgary Red Deer, Alta.
TEAM CANADA ROSTER: MEN
Name University / College Hometown
Guillaume Bastille UQAM Rivière-du-Loup, Que.
Alex Boisvert-Lacroix UQAM Sherbrooke, Que.
Tyler Derraugh Calgary Winnipeg, Man.
Liam McFarlane Calgary Medicine Hat, Alta.
Richard Shoebridge Calgary Cambridge, Ont.
STAFF
Team leader: Mark Mathies
Coach: Stephen Gough
Athletic therapist: Mireille Brosseau
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For more information please contact:
Michel BĂ©langer
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger [at] universitysport.ca