Canadian speed skaters Rose Laliberté-Roy, Rose-Anne Grenier, Antoine Roger, and Jake Weidemann clinched their maiden national titles at the Quebec City competition on Sunday. Laliberté-Roy triumphed in the women’s 1,000m event with a time of 1:18.372 after starting the nationals with two second-place finishes in the 500 meters. The 27-year-old from Saint-Étienne, Quebec shared the podium with Julia Snelgrove from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and Skylar Van Horne from Winnipeg.
Roger of Quebec City secured the men’s 1,000m title in 1:09.981, besting Cédrick Brunet from Gatineau and Yankun Zhao from Calgary. The new mass start rules added excitement to the competition, with skaters eliminated after each sprint lap.
Grenier from Sainte-Marie, Quebec, won the women’s mass start, finishing ahead of Laurie Cayer from Lévis and Selena Dallaire from Saskatoon. Ottawa’s Weidemann claimed victory in the chaotic men’s race, with Daniel Hall from Salmon Arm and Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu from Sherbrooke also showcasing impressive performances.
Laura Hall triumphed in the women’s 5,000m race, while Graeme Fish dominated the men’s 10,000m event. The competition in Quebec City will play a crucial role in selecting Canada’s team for the upcoming long-track World Cup season.
