Over 100 short track speed skaters from across the country will be at the Richmond Olympic Oval this week for the Canadian Open National Qualifier.
The four-day event, which starts Thursday, will serve as the final qualifying event for the Canadian Senior Championships, slated for January in Montreal.
The Canadian Open National Qualifier will involve skaters who did not take part in the Fall World Cup Selections in Montreal in September. That competition was exclusively for the top 16 skaters per gender based on last year's ranking, including two discretionary choices.
The athletes who took part in the Fall World Cup Selections are automatically qualified among the 32 skaters per gender who will skate at the Canadian Senior Championships. That leaves about 30 spots in play at the Canadian Open National Qualifier.
Thursday will feature qualifying events in the 500m and 1500m distances. Skaters who do not qualify for the main events will have a second opportunity for one of six places available through the repechage in each distance, Friday through Sunday.
The last three days of the event will all have the same format, as a repechage will be held in the morning while the main event, including the finals, will follow in the afternoon. The 1500m event will be held on Friday and the 500m on Saturday.
In Sunday’s 1000m races, the top 10 skaters based on the cumulative time ranking in the 500m and 1500m races will go directly to the main event. The other skaters will try to qualify Sunday morning through the repechage rounds.
Among those participating this week will be two-time Olympic medalist in the relay, Marie-Ève Drolet, who won silver at the 2014 Games in Sochi and bronze in 2002 at Salt Lake City.
Following the birth of her first child last January, Drolet, age 33, has resumed full training and she aims to represent Canada at the 2015-2016 Winter World Cups, at the 2016 World Championships in March and at the 2018 Olympic Games.
“I’ve been training for two months now with the other women on the National Team and I would say that I’m at 80 percent of my top physical form”, said Drolet.
“So far, my progressive return to training and to competition is going very well and skating at the Canadian Open National Qualifier this weekend will be an additional opportunity to prepare for the Canadian Senior Championships, to be held mid-January in Montreal. My short term goals are to represent Canada again at the Winter World Cups and at the 2016 World Championships.”
