Outdoor ice oval and Team BC long track speed skaters deliver

By Jennifer Scott, Team BC Mission Staff

There is no doubt that both the venue and the Team BC skaters are ready for competition.  Athletes, coaches and officials were incredibly excited to the get the first day of competition underway.  The nervous energy around the condition of the oval disappeared as soon as the athletes took to the ice and got down to business. 

Racing started at 7 a.m. under the dark sky and a light dusting of snow, the worries of organizers and athletes, the only thing melting away.

In the women’s 1,500m race, Team BC produced three top seven finishes, which resulted in the strongest team finish.  Sara Spence (Kamloops) took silver (2:20.50), hometown favourite Carolina Hiller (Prince George) took fifth (2:21.44) and Abigail McCluskey (Penticton) snagged the seventh spot (2:23.48)

When asked about her race, Hiller said, “I was really surprised with the finish.  I’ve just started to get into long track this year, really focusing on it more than short track.  I’ve been working on my technique and getting it better for the Games.  So having that great race makes me feel like all the technical practice paid off.” 

The athletes were thrilled with the energetic crowds, who would not be deterred by the early start, and the venue’s atmosphere.  Hiller added, “I could definitely hear the crowd, I race best when I know my surroundings.  I am able to listen to the crowd, hear my coach and be calm.  I wasn’t nervous at all!”

The men competed in the gruelling 3,000m race. Nicolas Hiller (Prince George) had the best Team BC performance with a sixth place finish.

With the big venue question answered, everyone has their sights set on day two, which includes 500m for both men and women, and the team pursuits.

See Canada Games live streaming at www.canadagamestv.ca and follow live updates on Twitter from @GoTeamBC with the hashtag #TBCSpeedskate.