Belchos skates to spot on Canadian Olympic team
There’s nothing quite like waiting until the last day and final event of trials to get an opportunity to book a seat on the 2018 Winter Olympic Games speedskating express.
“Honestly, it’s been a stressful few months,” Jordan Belchos admitted Tuesday. “I’ve had a lot of decent races. Watching these other guys get the standard, whether we have more than the quota of 10 people ... I feel like there’s so much watching and so much trying to do your own thing ... I’m happy now that this part is done.
“I feel like there’s been a pencilled-in plan for the Games, and I can’t necessarily commit to that. I have the Olympic shirt sitting in my dresser that’s been there since June. I refused to wear it, I refused to touch it, and finally I can go home and put it on.”
Belchos finished second in the 10,000 metres at the Canadian single-distance long-track championships and Olympic trials at the Olympic Oval to earn his spot on the PyeongChang-bound squad. Ted-Jan Bloemen, world recordholder in the distance, finished on top with a time of 12:43.04. Since his spot on the team was reserved, the battle for the only other berth included Belchos, Graeme Fish and Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu.
Belchos, who had already hit the Speed Skating Canada time standard, skated the second-fastest time of 13:22.53.
“I knew, when Graeme didn’t (set the standard), that I just had to beat my pair to go to the Games,” explained Belchos, 28, of Toronto. “I felt it was a bit of a defensive race, to make sure I was going to beat my pair (Gelinas-Beaulieu).”
Bloemen’s time was about six seconds off the mark he set two seasons ago. Last week, he qualified for the 5,000m.
In the women’s 5,000m, Isabelle Weidemann, originally from Ottawa, qualified for her second distance, winning the Canadian title in an excellent time of 7:00.64.
Weidemann previously finished second in the 3,000m.
Second place went to Josie Morrison, who also put in a fine performance with a 7:05.99 clocking. Victoria Spence of Kamloops, B.C., was third. Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin, who was pre-selected for the event, was fourth.
After five intense days of skating at the Olympic Oval, coaches will now huddle to make some final personnel decisions. Speed Skating Canada will announce the team that will travel to the February Games in South Korea on Wednesday at noon at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.