Hudey bound for PyeongChang after winning Canadian 500m title
Holding on to her three-year-old niece aptly named Victory, Marsha Hudey basked in some.
Hudey posted a satisfying clocking of 37.46 seconds in the 500 metres on Friday at the Olympic Oval, good enough to win the Canadian single-distance long-track speedskating championship and — equally thrilling — another step on the road to her second Winter Olympic Games.
“I’m happy with my race,” said the 27-year-old from White City, Sask. “I just had to come out and skate a good one (Friday). I was a bit nervous, but that’s a good thing, I think.”
Hudey, who has won a silver medal in this World Cup season, already had the qualifying time in her pocket for the Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“I think it’s going to be a totally different experience,” she said of the February Games. “I’ve heard from so many veterans that every Olympics is a unique experience on its own. With the last four years on the World Cup circuit, it will feel a bit different, knowing the competition — it’s the same girls I’ve competed against all year.”
Second place — and a spot on her first Olympic team — was snagged by Winnipeg’s Heather McLean, a belated birthday gift as she turned 25 on Thursday. She finished in a time of 37.79.
“It wasn’t the race that I was hoping for,” said McLean. “I’ll take it, I’m qualified — that’s what I came here to do. But I have a lot of work to do execution wise. It’s obviously something I’ve dreamed about my entire life, to be an Olympian. I can finally start thinking about it.”
Alex Boisvert-Lacroix was the only skater pre-selected in either the women’s and men’s 500m divisions. He sped to a time of 34.38 in winning the Canadian title, with second spot going to Humboldt’s William Dutton (34.53) and third to Calgary’s Gilmore Junio (34.55).
But, because Dutton didn’t meet the Canadian standard, he didn’t qualify for the Olympic team, while Junio had already done so and thus will head to another Games. Dutton will get another opportunity to qualify in the 500m on Saturday, since, according to the criteria, athletes have until Jan. 9.
“It was really stressful going in,” said Junio, 27, who trained all summer in Norway with Jeremy Wotherspoon. “To skate a really good time and pull together a really good race I’m proud of ... I couldn’t be happier and more relieved.
“I’m not too sure what the narrative will be,” added Junio, who was praised by Canadians after conceding his spot to teammate Denny Morrison in the 1,000 metres at the 2014 Sochi Games.
“But I’m just glad the story gets to have another chapter and not end here.”
The 30-year-old Boisvert-Lacroix, meanwhile, is looking forward to his first Olympic Games.
“It’s crazy. Since I’m a little boy, it’s my dream for sure,” said Boisvert-Lacroix, a former shorttracker who missed 2010 because of mono and 2014 because he admittedly was out of shape. “I’ve had a good fight, and now it pays off.
“I came here a bit more tired than usual because I trained hard at home. I was surprised with the shape I had (Friday night), and it wasn’t even a perfect race.
“My first step off the line was a bad step. I almost fell. I stayed calm and recovered. I had no big expectations, but to come out with the Canadian title again is always something you can take and put on your resume, for sure. I showed that I deserve my place on this team, more than ever.”
On Saturday, everyone’s attention will be on the men’s and women’s 1,500-metre races.