Drolet, Gilday dominate short track

Quebec skaters enjoy strong showing

Laterrière’s Marie-Eve Drolet won the women’s title at the Canadian Open Short Track Championships on Sunday, while Michael Gilday, of Yellowknife, took the men’s.

Drolet won Sunday’s 3,000-metre race and was second in the 1,000 metres behind Marianne St. Gelais for a total of 2557 points.

St. Gelais, of St. Felicien, was second with 2,308 points.

“My first objective was rank myself to qualify for the world championships,” Drolet said. “I did that and I’m happy to have done well. At the same time, it (Canadian championship) was an important rehearsal for the Olympic selections coming real soon this August.”

Gilday edged out defending champion Charles Hamelin by 16 points after placing fourth in both the 1,000- and 3,000-metre races Sunday for a total of 2,432 points.

Hamelin, of Sainte-Julie, won the 1,000 metres, but was eighth in the 3,000 for 2,416 points. Charge Cournoyer, of Boucherville, was third overall with 1,976 points.

“Consistency pays in an overall competition when it’s cumulative points and I was really consistent,” Gilday said. “That was the biggest thing. I’m a little disappointed with three times fourth place. I was in all the finals, which is awesome and where I wanted to be, but I also want to be pushing for the wins a little harder.

“Charles (Hamelin), he’s got eight national titles, or something like that, I’ll gladly take one. Both of us are focusing on the (worlds).”

In the women’s 1,000-metre final, St. Gelais finished in one minute 29.592 seconds, followed by Drolet in 1:29.816. The bronze went to Hewitt, who finished in 1:29.908.

Hamelin won the 1,000 in a time of 1:23.616 ahead of Cournoyer (1:23.690) and Guillaume Bastille, of Riviere-du-Loup, bronze in 1:23.829.

Vincent Cournoyer, of Boucherville, won the men’s 3,000 metres, with brother Charge coming in second, and Bastille in third place.

In the women’s 3,000 race, Hewitt took second place, followed by Gabrielle Waddell, of Red Deer, Alta.