The three local athletes competing in the short track speed skating events at the Canada Winter Games have completed most of their attempts at the medals.
Prince George's Callie Swan, 16, Vanderhoof's Alison Desmarais, 17, and Fort Simpson's Madison Pilling, 18, all train under the banner of the Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club. All enjoyed noisy support from the Lakewood Dental Arena (Kin 1) crowd this week, including Pilling who skated in the uniform of the Northwest Territories while her clubmates donned the Team B.C. suit.
In the thrilling fan-favourite 500-metre distance, the best results from among the three came from Desmarais, who came sixth overall, followed by Pilling in 25th and Swan in 31st place.
Swan, the youngest of the three, also competed in the 1,500m event, placing 11th. As well, she was in action in the 1,000m category, placing 18th.
Desmarais, meanwhile, made the nation's top 10 in the 1,500m distance, finishing in the 10th position, then came 13th in the 1,000m set.
She and Swan were both on the 3,000m B.C. relay team but did not qualify for today's final scheduled for 4 p.m.
This race will still be a local hotspot on the calendar. Pilling came 18th in the 1,500m results and 30th in the 1,000m, but she has more skating still to do. She and her Northwest Territories team did make it to that final four showdown in the relay, giving her a shot - the last local shot - at a medal on the short track.
