Canadian Roundup: World Cup and Grand Prix podium success
Although winter isn’t officially here, Team Canada athetes have already begun the 2016-17 season with podium success on ice.
It was also a historic weekend for Canada in the velodrome.
Speed Skating – Short track
The short track World Cup season kicked off over the weekend, with Canadian speed skaters winning five medals on home ice in Calgary. Samuel Girard led the nation’s medal haul winning the 500m, before finishing second to his teammate Charle Cournoyer in the 1000m. On Saturday world champion Marianne St-Gelais raced to a 500m silver, Jamie MacDonald followed up with another silver in the same event on Sunday.
Figure Skating
Read: Weaver and Poje skate to Grand Prix bronze in Russia
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje made their Grand Prix debut this season, unveiling a new program at the Rostelecom Cup in Russia. The pair’s Spainsh-flavoured ice dance routine was awarded bronze, behind Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates as well as Russian winners Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev.
Ice Hockey
Hockey Canada’s women brought home silver from the four Nation Cup in Vierumäk, Finland. Team Canada went into the gold medal final against the United States undefeated. Despite a close match between long-time rivals, the tournament’s title went to the United States who won 5-3. Two- time Olympic medallist and team captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored the opening and closing goals for Canada, the other went to Laura Steacy.
Cycling – Track
History was made on Friday night when Cycling Canada won its first-ever World Cup medal in men’s team pursuit. Aidan Caves, Adam Jamieson, Jay Lamoureux, Bayley Simpson and Ed Veal raced to bronze in Glasglow, after a dominate three second victory over Switzerland.