(Montreal) December 2021, drama on the Canadian long track speed skating scene: the Olympic selections planned for Quebec City are canceled a few days’ notice due to the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among participants . The choice of athletes who will represent the country at the Beijing Games will be made by committee rather than on the ice.
Selected for the fall 2021 World Cups, David La Rue skipped this series of races in order to heal a back injury, preferring to go all out to qualify for his first Games in the Old Capital . He was ultimately unable to prove himself on the ice and was not selected for the Olympic team.
Nearly two years later, the athlete says it’s one of the best things that has happened to him as he prepares to begin his World Cup season on Friday in Obihiro, Japan.
“From that point on, I went to school full-time and wasted no time lamenting the situation. And in the end, it allowed me to advance my university extremely quickly by studying full time in the winter and summer,” explains the man who will finish his bachelor’s degree in finance at Laval University in a few weeks. “I’ve done what I wanted to do academically for now and now I’m grateful to be doing speed skating. »
For him, this impression of academic unfinished business which had lingered in his mind for a long time was over. Now, it’s a feeling of accomplishment to which he adds a renewed pleasure of spinning across the ice with long blades on his feet.
“My perspective on life and sport has changed enormously in recent years and this means that I am much more serene with the course of my life. […] Before, I felt a little empty just doing sports. I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform, but now I do sport because I love it,” adds the 25-year-old athlete who will want to continue his studies to obtain the title of chartered financial analyst ( CFA).
The spiral of injuries
David La Rue was catapulted from short track to long track in 2017. The young athlete quickly found success on the international junior scene with a silver medal in the team sprint at the worlds in 2017 and another of the same color in the 1500 m at the 2018 edition.
Then the cycle of injuries followed. He started to slow down this bad spiral last season. At the World University Games in Lake Placid in January, he won three medals, including gold in the mass start. Enough to receive an invitation to take part in the last two World Cups of the season in Poland.
His back healed, he was able to increase his mileage on the ice and in his bike rides in the following months, which translated into a more consistent top speed at the end of the race, especially in the 1500 m.
A big scare
Two weeks before the Canadian selections presented in Calgary at the beginning of October, the skater however came close to reliving a scenario similar to that of the 2022 Olympic selections and not being able to do himself justice on the ice. This time the reason was that he had severe back pain.
“I wondered how I would be able to run a race because the pain was so sharp and intense. The first two days I was lying on my back and was not able to sit up to eat. But then it was mostly okay and I was riding my bike. »
Questioning whether or not he would qualify for the World Cups was no longer part of his thoughts. He only wanted to improve his physical condition. These special circumstances opened his eyes to something new as he explains.
“Historically, when I arrived at the Canadian Championships, I was at my best, I felt a little invincible and I wondered how I could be better than that. This year, I managed to perform very well, but I am still very, very far from my prime. »
La Rue placed third in the 1500m, which opened the doors to the fall World Cups. He praises the work of his management team in Quebec, starting with that of Muncef Ouardi and Gregor Jelonek, the “combo of the best coaches” according to him.
“There is a difference between being able to perform under pressure and wanting to perform under pressure. Before, I was able to perform, except that the pleasure wasn’t there all the time. […] A good difference now is that I am satisfied with the sporting career I had. I would be able to quit and it wouldn’t be the end of the world for me since I have other interests. It makes me appreciate the moments I experience in my sport much more. »
Laurent Dubreuil (Lévis), Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu (Sherbrooke), Béatrice Lamarche (Québec) and Valérie Maltais (La Baie) will be the other Quebecers who will be part of the Canadian team present in Japan.
The Street will feature 1000m, 1500m, team pursuit and mass start events.