GILMORE’S QUEST
Can nice guy finish first?
Gilmore Junio is a speedskater by trade, not a journalist or copy editor.
But the folk hero of the 2014 Sochi Games can still fantasize about his ideal headline for the story of the men’s 500-metre race at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea: Nice Guy Finishes First.
“Hopefully in two years, that will be the tagline,” the affable Calgarian said earlier this week after a training session at the Olympic Oval. “Being kind for others can be good for you, as well. But there’s still a lot of work to do. Two more years to the Games, and that’s what we have to prep for.”
Junio is best known for his generosity in Sochi, where he gave up his spot in the men’s 1,000-metre race to teammate Denny Morrison. In what turned into a magical slice of Canadiana, Morrison won silver and declared the medal should be split in two because Junio had made it possible.
“I still look back at that moment as something I’ll never forget,” Junio said. “It’s awesome everyone got to see my personality as an athlete. But I want everyone to notice my athletic accolades more so.
“Hopefully, I’m building that resume up and I’ll go onto bigger and better things.”
The next big thing came Friday when Junio finished first in his signature distance of 500 metres with a scorching time of 34.51 seconds in the first of two fall selection races for the national team. He’ll need a repeat performance Saturday to cement his World Cup spot.
Canada has great depth among its male sprinters, with five Canadians ranked among the top 12 in the world at the end of the 2015-16 season. Junio ranked third, followed by Alex BoisvertLacroix (fifth), William Dutton (eighth), Laurent Dubreuil (ninth) and Alexandre St. Jean (12th). All took turns last season gracing the World Cup podium.
Boisvert-Lacroix, of Sherbrooke, Que., was the top Canadian sprinter at the 2016 world championships with a bronze medal, giving him an automatic berth on the fall World Cup team.
“The first race you’re always a bit nervous,” said Boisvert-Lacroix, who finished second Friday in 34.68 seconds.
OF NOTE: Racing in his first trials since suffering a stroke in April, Morrison crossed the finish line Friday in 36.57 seconds to finish 14th. The 500 metres is not his specialty, but the four-time Olympic medallist was disappointed nevertheless.
“This is a pretty good eye-opener,” he said. “I have a lot of work to do. Things are trending in the right direction, and I’m going to keep at it. But today opened my eyes as to how much work there still is to do.”
Morrison, 30, hopes to qualify for the World Cup team in the 1,000 metres Saturday and/or the 1,500 metres Sunday.
Marsha Hudey, of White City, Sask., posted a personal best of 37.54 seconds to win the women’s 500 metres. Heather McLean, of Winnipeg, missed the race with a severe case of sinusitis.