10 memorable moments from winter 2015-16
Winter is on the horizon, but before Team Canada athletes begin their pre-Olympic seasons, lets look back on some awesome moments from 2015-16.
From making history to smashing world records, lets get to it.
Duhamel and Radford win worlds, again
Read: Duhamel & Radford defend world title despite season’s struggles
Defending a world title is never easy, especially if you weren’t sure whether you wanted to continue competing. This was the case for figuring skating pair Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, who had a rough season despite a stellar penultimate year. Fortunately for Canadian figure skating fans, the duo rediscovered their passion and gold medal dive just in time to win a world title in Boston.
Bloemen breaks 10 000 m world record
Read: Bloemen sets world 10 000m record; wins gold
Ted-Jan Bloemen after winning World Cup bronze in men’s 5000m in Calgary on November 13, 2015.
At only the second World Cup event of the 2015-16 season, Ted Jan Bloemen smashed the world 10, 000m record. The Canadian long track speed skater’s time of 12 minutes and 36.30 seconds, broke Sven Kramer’s of the Netherlands seven year old record by over 4 seconds.
St-Gelais crowned world champ in ‘weakest event’
Read: St-Gelais win 1500m gold at worlds
Related: St-Gelais in Olympic mode for World Cup season
Marianne St-Gelais reacts after crossing the finish line as she won the women’s 500 m final at the ISU Short track World Cup event in Dresden, Germany, Sunday Feb. 7, 2016.
In 2015, Marianne St-Gelais became the women’s short track speed skating world champion. This was the two-time Olympian’s first world title, despite bringing home silver medals from Vancouver 2010 (500m and 3000m relay) and Sochi 2014 (3000m relay). As the defending world champion, St-Gelais has her eyes set on one thing this season, PyeongChang 2018.
Canada wins 35th world title in men’s curling
Read: Koe skips Canada to curling world title
(Front L-R) Kevin Koe, Marc Kennedy, Brent Laing, Ben Hebert. (Back L-R) Coach John Dunn and alternate Scott Pfeifer with the world championship trophy on April 10, 2016.
In April Curling Canada won its 35th – yes 35th – world championship title. Kevin Koe guided his team of Marc Kennedy, Brent Laing and Ben Herbert to the nation’s first world title since 2012. The team defeated Denmark 5-3 in the gold medal final in Switzerland, and will have the chance to defend their title on home soil in Edmonton.
Mikaël Kingsbury is king of the hill
Related: Kingsbury dominates World Cup circuit
Kingsbury kisses the Crystal Globe trophy after winning the men’s dual moguls at the World Cup in Moscow on March 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
The 2015-16 season was huge for freestyle skier Mikaël Kingsbury. In December the Olympic silver medallist opened the season with his 29th World Cup victory – in just 62 races – to become the current all-time wins leader in moguls. However, Kingsbury’s dominance didn’t stop there, by the end of the season the Canadian increased his winning record to 33 and won his 10th Crystal Globe.
Canada wins worlds; Perry joins triple gold club
Read: Canada wins second straight world title
Read: Perry joins elite triple gold club
Hockey Canada‘s men did it again. In 2015 they dominated Russia, beating the nation 6-1 in the gold medal final and followed up another world title in 2016 after a 2-0 victory over Finland. However, this year’s victory was extra sweet, because Olympian Corey Perry joined the triple gold club. The elite group of now 27 members, includes players who’ve won a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and an IIHF World Championship.
Black Knight Parrot rises to the podium
Related: Parrot wins X Games big air in Aspen
Max Parrot, nicknamed the Black Knight on the snowboard circuit – due to his sponsorless all black gear – won competition after competition last season. Parrot has become one of the most talked about snowboarders, landing unprecedented tricks including a switch quadruple – which some thought was impossible – last year. With huge big air wins including an X Games gold, World Snowboard Tour and FIS Overall Tour titles on his account, watch out for Parrot’s return to the slopes this season.
Humphries pilots first-ever women’s four-man
Read: Canada’s first four women crew makes history
Kaillie Humphries, Cynthia Appiah, Genevieve Thibault and Melissa Lotholz made bobsleigh history, as the first-ever all-women crew to compete in the four-man at World Cup event. In hopes of showing the world that women can compete in event as well, the team raced alongside 16 four-man crews in Lake Placid, in the sled named “Phoenix” previously piloted by Canadian Chris Springs.
Biathlon team wins first world relay medal
Read: Canada wins historic biathlon relay medal at worlds
Canada’s men’s 4×7.5 relay team after winning bronze the IBU World Championships in Oslo on March 12, 2016. (Tumashov/NordicFocus)
Very few things are better than making Canadian history and the men’s biathlon team earned this pleasure at the world championships in Oslo. Christian Gow, Nathan Smith, Scott Gow and Brendan Green won Canada’s first-ever world relay medal, claiming bronze in the 4×7.5km event. This historic moment came one year after Smith sprinted to a 10km silver and become the first Canadian male to climb a world championship podium.
Harvey sprints to World Cup silver on home soil
Read: Cross country World Cup season to end with Ski Tour Canada
Alex Harvey reacts to his second place finish in the men’s 1.7 km sprint at the FIS World Cup on in Quebec City in March 4, 2016. (Jacques Boissinot)
For the first-time ever, the FIS World Cup finale took place on Canadian soil snow. This inaugural event made Alex Harvey‘s sprint to silver that much sweeter. The Quebec native, had his eye set on reaching the podium as soon has he heard event was coming to Canada. His dream came true on the third stop of the four city tour, when he raced to silver in the men’s 1.7km sprint in Quebec City.
