FIRE FAILS TO IGNITE NESBITT
OLYMPIC PRESSURE TAKES TOLL ON SPEEDSKATER
Traditionally, anger fuels Christine Nesbitt much like premium, high-octane gasoline powers a fine-tuned Ferrari.
And so over the weekend, retired Canadian speedskat- ing legends Clara Hughes and Kristina Groves waited in earnest for the inner storm to boil over from deep inside their former teammate and spill onto “fastest ice in the world” at Calgary’s Olympic Oval.
“She’s got the fire,” Hughes said on Saturday after her former teammate ground to a seventh-place finish in the 1,500 metres — a full 2.23 seconds back of gold. “I love Nesbitt’s rage. I can’t wait to see it on the ice.”
From her perch in the CBCTV broadcast booth, Groves fully expected to see that rage translate into a podium performance for Nesbitt Sunday in the 1,000 metres at the Essent ISU World Cup of long-track speedskating. Never happened. Shocking a massive contingent of international media at Calgary’s Olympic Oval, Nesbitt slipped on the second corner and skated to a 10th place finish in one minute, 15 seconds — a full two seconds off the world record she set on home ice in 2012.
“I think she’s a little bit stuck ” Groves said softly as the crowd filtered out of the Oval. “And she feels a lot of pressure.”
With good reason. After the Vancouver Games, Groves and Hughes retired — leaving Nesbitt as Canada’s lone individual medal hope on the women’s side in long track. With the countdown to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia sitting at 87 days, the spotlight grows ever brighter on Nesbitt by the day as the reigning Olympic champion in the 1,000 metres.
Forget rage. On Sunday, Nesbitt simply looked rattled in the mixed zone as she broke down a race that failed to even graze her lofty standards in her signature distance.
“I don’t know what to say because I felt much more prepared today than yesterday,” she murmured. “I felt strong out there, but I just wasn’t fast. “I was just (crappy).” The London, Ont., native suffered a back injury in training a week prior to the com- petition, but she’s not about to use that as an excuse. For no one is harder on Nesbitt than the woman staring back at her in the mirror.
“I can’t remember the last time I skated a 1:15 in Calgary,” the 28-year-old muttered. “It’s been six years or something, or I don’t know, maybe longer. Eight years.
“I don’t understand what’s going on really.”
Time is of essence for the bewildered Nesbitt when it comes to finding a way to relieve the pressure and trust the power of emotion — whether that’s anger, frustration or whatever — to fuel her push for the podium.
“She has the tools,” Groves said. “Three weeks ago, she did a 1:13 in training races in Calgary. So for her to go almost two seconds slower here this weekend, it’s not her body. It’s not her strength, her legs. Everything is there.
“She has the fitness. Her technique is incredible. She’s got to deal with whatever’s going on in her mind.”
Over the weekend, Nesbitt offered a glimpse of what’s going on in her mind when asked about the load she’s carrying into Sochi.
“I’ve definitely felt a bit of pressure,” she said. “And a little bit of frustration, too. We lost a lot of veterans after the Vancouver Olympics. I was winning medals back then, but I also had so many peers on the team who were also bringing home medals. So the pressure was kind of distributed throughout the team. It was team of excellence.”
These days, youth defines a Canadian contingent.
“They bring a lot of positive energy and a lot of excitement, which is great for me as I get older and grumpier,” Nesbitt said. “But definitely there are moments where it’s frustrating when it feels like I have to carry the team.
“But that’s just the way it goes. I want to be the best, so I have to take that responsibility.”
According to Hughes, that responsibility only goes so far for the self-described grump of the Canadian speedskat- ing team.
“It’s a time of change,” Hughes said. “We’re not going to see the medals that Canada is used to in long-track. It’s not going to happen in Sochi. But there are going to be some young ones who will absolutely shine and maybe end up on the podium — because that’s what the Olympics can do.”
The young ones might land on the podium, but, judging by her track record on the big stage, don’t count Nesbitt out.
And if she gets angry bet against her at your own risk.
“Looking where she was at a few weeks ago with performances at trials and practice races, I feel like she’s on track in terms of her physiology, in terms of her preparation,” said Sean Ireland, long-track director for Speed Skating Canada. “We’ve seen good testing results and such. I think just hit the reset button now and get into another head space as well as look forward to the next few World Cups.”