Local speed skaters vie for Quebec Games entry

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

The prestigious 42nd annual Quebec Winter Games unfold this March in Repentigny, and qualifications for respective participating Lac St. Louis teams have already begun.

One of those will compete in short-track speed skating, and the Dollard des Ormeaux Civic Centre was the scene Sunday of the region’s final qualification meet. Nine Level 2 skaters from two clubs, Dollard des Ormeaux and LaSalle participated, with six spots up for grabs.

Each level, including boys’ cadet and boys’ and girls’ juvenile featured three finals. With rules stipulating 20 minutes be afforded to athletes in between races in order to recover, the host Dollard des Ormeaux Speed-Skating Club (DSSC) decided to add other races involving other levels and categories to fill in the time. However, those levels and categories were not eligible for the Quebec Games. Still, those athletes also received medals.

At the end of the day, DSSC placed four athletes on the Lac St. Louis team headed to the Games, which unfold March 7-10. Dhanji Ali-Khan and Shaun Filiatrault will compete in juvenile boys while Kayla Miguez and Krista Wright will represent the region in juvenile girls.

“We’re very happy with the results we had today, both from the Dollard and LaSalle skaters,� said Andréas Pacanins, head coach of the Lac St. Louis short-track speed-skating team. “They all deserve to be there. They’ve been training hard for this opportunity over the past year. As long as they can compete hard, they all have a chance to represent the region proudly. For the ones who didn’t qualify, well they tried their best, which is all that really counts.�

Although Filiatrault and Ali-Khan had already sewn up spots on the team before they squared-off in their final 500-metre event, each dug hard in an attempt to take home a gold medal. Filiatrault crossed the finish line first.

“He (Filiatrault) beat me on the inside,� said the 14-year-old Ali-Khan, an Ile Bizard resident who was sporting a bandage on his neck, the result of a cut he suffered from a skate blade during an earlier fall. “If I wouldn’t have let him get there, I believe I could have won the race.�

This will mark the second time competing at the Games for Ali-Khan, Filiatrault and Wright, a 13-year-old Pierrefonds resident who said she would be approaching Repentigny with a slightly more relaxed approach this time round.

Wright and Miguez had also already sewn up spots on the team heading into their final race of the day as well. Because of that, said Wright, it was hard to get motivated.

“Still, I gave it all I had,� she said. “As far as the Games go, I hope to do well and improve my times. That’s really important to me.�

In other races involving levels and categories not eligible for the Games, Valérie Courval won silver, Julien Choinére gold in girls’ minime while Arnauld Roy captured silver and Jeremy Kaoury bronze in boys’ benjamin. Liam O’Connor earned gold and Jeremy Allen silver in boys’ 1 benjamin while Félix-Antoine Bouffard captured silver, Charles Mina Wissa bronze in boys’ cadet. Olivier Primeau won gold Matthew Manitakos silver in boys’ 1 cadet while Peter Manitakos captured gold in boys’ juvenile.