Nine Quebecois athletes set to compete on home ice at the Centre de glace Intact Assurance from December 2-4
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC – The world’s top long track speed skaters will make their debut at Quebec City’s new Centre de glaces Intact Assurance this coming weekend, as the venue host its first ever international speed skating competition – the ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships – from December 2-4, 2022.
This historic international competition at the Centre de glace Intact Assurance will feature 78 skaters from 7 countries, including Canada, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States.
A group of sixteen Canadian long track skaters, comprised both National and NextGen team members, will wear the maple leaf this weekend. The Canadian team includes most notably nine Quebecois athletes and five Olympians from Beijing 2022:
- Alison Desmarais (Vanderhoof, B.C.)
- Laura Hall (Salmon Arm, B.C.)
- Rose Laliberté-Roy (Saint-Étienne, Que.)
- Béatrice Lamarche (Quebec City, Que.)
- Valérie Maltais (La Baie, Que.)
- Abigail McCluskey (Penticton, B.C.)
- Maddison Pearman (Ponoka, Alta.)
- Jordan Belchos (Toronto, Ont)
- Cédrick Brunet (Gatineau, Que.)
- Laurent Dubreuil (Lévis, Que.)
- Christopher Fiola (Montreal, Que.)
- Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu (Sherbrooke, Que.)
- Max Halyk (Calgary, Alta.)
- David La Rue (Montreal, Que.)
- Hubert Marcotte (Pont-Rouge, Que.)
- Jake Weidemann (Ottawa, Ont)
Launched in 2020, the ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships features top competitors from North America, South America, Asia and Oceania. Skaters compete for titles in each of the individual distances (500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and Mass Start), as well as in the Team Pursuit and Team Sprint.
The inaugural event was hosted in Milwaukee in 2020 and saw Canada capture 8 medals. After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the event returned to Calgary in December 2021, with Canadians winning 10 medals at the Olympic Oval.
Tickets are still available for this weekend’s competition, with single-day options starting at $18.00 for kids and $35.00 for adults. For more information on the event, including schedules and results, please visit speedskating.ca.
For those not able to attend in person, all three days of racing will be live streamed on CBC Sports and Radio-Canada Sports. CBC will also have television coverage of the event beginning at 4:00 PM ET on Saturday.
Quotes
After a 30 year wait, international long track speed skating is finally back in Quebec City! We are so proud to organize these Four Continents Championships in partnership with Speed Skating Canada. A big thanks to the Government of Canada, Government of Quebec, City of Quebec and the Centre de glaces Intact Assurance for making the hosting of this event – and all future events – possible!
Robert Dubreuil, Director General, Patinage de vitesse Québec
What an honor it is to receive speed skating excellence here in Quebec at our brand-new centre, one that has the whole world talking. It is an immense privilege for the City of Quebec to host such a sporting event and collaborate in the promotion of our local athletes. Having great champions come to town to compete gives great hope to all the youngsters who practice sport in our community.
Marie-Pierre Boucher, member of the Executive Committee for Leisure and Sport with the City of Quebec
Resources
Speed Skating Canada and the Quebec Speed Skating Federation would like to acknowledge the support and financial contributions of partners such as the International Skating Union, Government of Canada, Government of Quebec, City of Quebec and the Centre de glaces Intact Assurance.