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Nationals next for Hempsall, Pousette |
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Written by TED CLARKE, Citizen staff
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Thursday, 04 December 2008 |
Tim Hempsall knows the feeling.
So does Sarah Pousette.
In a nation that prides itself in producing world-class short track speed skaters, Hempsall and Pousette can now say they are among the fastest left-hand turners on Canadian ice.
Both Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club members have qualified for the Canadian junior championships in Chicoutimi, Que., based on the fact their times in the 500-metre and 1,000m races are among the 32 fastest in the junior (15-19) age category.
Hempsall, 16, qualified in 28th position, as did Pousette, who will celebrate her 17th birthday on Dec. 19, the first day of the three-day competition.
“The times that qualify had to be from this year and I only had one chance at Octoberfest (held Oct. 10-12 in Calgary) because there were no other meets with ice fast enough to get good times,” said Hempsall, a Grade 11 student at College Heights secondary school. “It was a good meet and I thought it was going to be really close.”
Hempsall is entering the elite class with three more years still to come as a junior skater, same as Pousette, whose 19th birthday fall would after the July 1 cutoff date.
“I’m used to racing against 15- and 16-year-olds, this will be my first time against the ISU (International Skating Union) juniors and “ said Hempsall. “It’s kind of the start for me crossing into bigger things than just (age group) nationals.”
Hempsall’s best 500m time is 44.31 seconds, while he also clocked a personal-best 1:30.8 in the 1,000m at Octoberfest. Tucking into the slipstream of so many fast customers in Chicoutimi should help him reduce those times even more.
“It should be really good ice for (fast) times in Quebec and I’ll see where I stand,” he said. “I just want to do better than where I’m seeded.”
Since being identified as 2010 Legacies Now integrated performance athletes by PacificSport two years ago, Hempsall and Pousette have stepped up their dryland activities and spend more time on strength and conditioning programs and that’s helped pave their way to success.
“That’s a huge part of what’s happened over last year and this year -- the only thing I’ve changed was I started doing weight training and dryland and this year I’m doing the same stuff and I keep improving,” said Hempsall.
Pousette took more than a full second off her best 500m time at Octoberfest and cut another four-tenths off last weekend with a 47.85 at the senior/junior national pre-selection trials in Calgary. Her best 1,000 time is 1:38. The trials event was open to the top 32 male and female skaters not on the national team.
“I just barely made it into that one and it was really cool to see all the fast people,” said Pousette. “What’s interesting is a lot of the juniors are the fastest ones, so I did get to race against most of the people I’ll race against in Quebec.
“I really learned a huge amount. They skate differently. In Western Canada if you pass somebody they let you in, but there, they don’t let you in, they push you away. You have to be more aggressive.”
Pousette learned enough at the trials event to know she won’t be satisfied in Quebec if her overall finish does not exceed her pre-race ranking.
“I started out the meet thinking I had to stay where I was (ranked) but by the end of the meet I realized I could pass them and go faster,” Pousette said. “I’m going in 28th, and my goal is top-20 or top-22 and I also want to get a faster 1,000 time.”
The skaters will race the 1,500m event Dec. 19, followed by the 500m Dec. 20, and the 1,000m competition Dec. 22. The top-four overall finishers qualify for the 2009 world junior championships in Sherbrooke, Que., Jan. 9-11.
Courtney Shmyr, Michelle McKay and Tyler Shmyr, all of Vancouver, will also represent B.C. and the national event. Provincial coach Jacques Thibault will be there as well.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 December 2008 )
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