(Québec) Nathan, Laurent Dubreuil’s 2-week-old baby, had a bad night from Wednesday to Thursday. Andréanne, the mother, therefore “sacrificed” herself and settled on the sofa in the living room with the little one.
Posted at 10:16 p.m.
“If she had stayed in our room, I would have been a bit slower, in my opinion…”
Ah! What a good night’s sleep can do! A few hours later, Dubreuil achieved what he considers “possibly [la] best race of [sa] career” at the Canadian Speed Skating Championships in Quebec City.
His time of 34,379 s in the 500 m threw all connoisseurs to the ground at the Intact Assurances Ice Cream Centre. Including its author.
“It was really good,” agreed Dubreuil, who took care to thank his spouse as he left the podium. “I couldn’t believe the time when I crossed the line. In the end, it’s a tenth slower than what was initially posted, but 34.37, I only did better once at sea level. And that was on the most beautiful ice in the world, in Heerenveen . »
In December, the sprinter from Lévis had settled in third place in the history of the 500 m with a canon time of 33.77 s at the World Cup in Calgary, therefore at altitude. In the middle, it is agreed to subtract six tenths of a second from a time achieved at sea level, as in Quebec, to obtain a point of comparison.
In short, on the strict chronometric level, the two races are equivalent. Something to make Dubreuil think, who had approached 16 hundredths of the world record in December 2021.
PHOTO YAN DOUBLET, THE SUN
I would be curious to know what it would have been like in Salt Lake City or Calgary. I think it wouldn’t have been far. It’s hard to say, but honestly, it would have been in world record waters or, at the limit, my personal best. It was therefore exceptional as a race.
Laurent Dubreuil
His opening (the first 100 meters) of 9.47s, his second-best ever by a hundredth, is perhaps what surprised him the most, considering he had been slowed by back pain for a good summer party.
“The starts are what hurt me the most on the ice,” he noted. Objectively, it is my best start in life that I have just made. To achieve my best opening in a year where I had a hard time doing it before the middle of August, it’s still quite incredible. It was a special day. »
“At the peak of his career”
Dubreuil will have two chances to tackle Russian Pavel Kulizkhnikov’s world benchmark of 33.61s at the two World Cups scheduled for Calgary in December.
“I’m excited precisely because I think I can do better. I can’t wait to prove it. I’m good when I have a lot of rest, and we haven’t been resting that long. […] With another month of light training, polishing my technique, my explosiveness, who knows what I can do? »
“Not surprised” by the performance of his protege, coach Gregor Jelonek believes he “is on the right track” to break the record in December.
“Laurent is at the peak of his career,” said Jelonek.
He is strong, he trains well, his priorities are in the right place. He skates for the right reasons. Also, the fact of having been to the Olympics, of winning a medal, of having been world champion, all this pressure drops. He takes advantage of it and lets himself go.
Gregor Jelonek, coach
If the record tickles him, Dubreuil however recalled that his real objective for the season was to conquer a second title of world champion in the Netherlands next winter. “I would rather be world champion for the second time than world record holder. »
The 30-year-old athlete will start the 1000m on Friday, an event where he wants to land as a constant contender for the world podium this year. His silver medal at the Beijing Olympics last winter came as a surprise.
“I want to arrive at the World Cup with a chance of a medal in both distances and a chance of winning the 1,000, which was not the case last season. I can’t wait because I feel better at the 1000 than at the 500 compared to last fall. »
Brunet delivered, Fiola cautious
Dubreuil seemed as happy with his performance as with the qualification for the World Cups of his two training partners. Cédrick Brunet (35.50 s) and Christopher Fiola (35.54 s) respectively took second and third place in this 500m.
PHOTO YAN DOUBLET, THE SUN
Cedrick Brunet (2e rank), Laurent Dubreuil (1er rank) and Christopher Fiola (3e rank), at the medal ceremony of the Canadian Speed Skating Championships in Quebec City, Thursday
For Brunet, very demonstrative after his contested race alongside Dubreuil, this result is a real “deliverance”.
Third at the same competition last year, the skater from Gatineau thought he had won his selection. But he had missed the standard by a few hundredths. An appeal to arbitration by Alex Boisvert-Lacroix finally deprived him of a first full World Cup tour.
The constraints of the pandemic also prevented the 21-year-old from competing in Germany and led to the cancellation of the Olympic trials planned in Quebec.
I just approached the race normally, without thinking of a beat. You saw my reaction… It’s deliverance, there are no other words.
Cedrick Brunet
Brunet says he had his “best summer ever” in training. “I gained 10 pounds of muscle. I have never been so powerful. I had conversations with my coach and my physical trainer. They kept telling me, “Ced, you are powerful, it will come, be patient, don’t panic.” Today I was rewarded. »
Even if it is for him a return to the World Cup after three years of absence, Fiola was more circumspect than his young teammate. His chrono left him on his appetite.
“I did a time two tenths faster, barely a month ago, regretted the Montreal native. I expected much better, that’s for sure. At least I can recover and show what I can do in the World Cup. »
A first World Cup for Rose Laliberté-Roy?
On the women’s side, Carolina Hiller, a newcomer, won ahead of Olympians Brooklyn McDougall and Ivanie Blondin, respectively second and third.
THE SUN
Carolina Hiller in the 500m final at the Canadian Speed Skating Championships in Quebec, Thursday
Rose Laliberté-Roy slipped into fourth place with a time of 39.05 seconds, which allows her to achieve the qualification standard. In theory, she should therefore take part in her first World Cups.
“To be continued, I am waiting for the email from the federation…”, underlined the 23-year-old young woman, “still a little on cloud nine” in front of the journalists.
It was beyond my expectations. Everything was there: the family, being at home… I’ve never been so ready for a race. I think it appeared. I’m really, really satisfied.
Rose Laliberte-Roy
Surprised to obtain her standard, which was her goal this season, Laliberté-Roy is delighted to get closer to the leaders after years of perseverance.
“I try to set myself realistic goals. Today just showed that I can dream. »
To finish, the native of Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon revealed that her first coach was… Laurent Dubreuil!
3eMaltese remains on his appetite
Unsurprisingly, Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais, the three Olympic pursuit gold medalists, finished in that order in the 3000m.
The Quebecer was not fully satisfied with her execution on the ice of the Gaétan-Boucher ring. “You have to be more relaxed,” her trainer Gregor Jelonek slipped to her when she walked past him.
“I was just too tense,” admitted Maltais, who felt he had gotten a little carried away by his duel with Blondin, his neighbor in the hallway who was one second ahead of him. “I was on my legs, I still felt good at the end, it’s just that I can skate even better technically. [Vendredi], in the 5000 meters, I don’t need to invent anything. It’s just to bring relaxation and to skate in a more centered way…”
In the men’s 5000m, former world record holder Ted-Jan Bloemen clocked an impressive 6:16.61 to win ahead of adopted Quebecer Jordan Belchos (6:23.78) and Graeme Fish ( 6 min 24 s 93). Bloemen praised the quality of the ice, comparing it to that in Calgary where he trains. In his first attempt in three years over the distance, Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu finished strong to take fifth place in 6:32:01, 10 seconds from his personal best achieved in Calgary in 2017.
Kim Boutin aims for the Milan Olympics
It’s not a promise, but the intention seems quite firm: Kim Boutin has the desire to go to the Milan Olympics in 2026.
” Games [de Pékin] were a transition for me, recalled the bronze medalist in the 500 meters on Thursday afternoon. Turning the page on the PyeongChang Games and knowing that I can go to the Games having fun without fear of death threats. It was a step that I had to put behind me. It’s going to be one year at a time, but I have the desire to continue for the next four years. »
Earlier, his coach Sébastien Cros had outlined the plan. As his superstar had already taken a break from competitions in the winter of 2021 to preserve his mental health, they agreed to resume at full speed in this first year of the Olympic cycle. In the fall of 2023, however, she should focus more on her studies in special education technology.