Monday, 8:40 p.m. With a pink tuque on her head, little Violette is waiting for her dad to return to the Montreal airport. She runs around waving a miniature Canadian flag. His cries of excitement charmed the fifty or so people who came to welcome the Olympians. At 9:12 p.m., Charles Hamelin finally crosses the arrivals gate. With a gold medal around his neck, he goes straight into the arms of his fiancée and his daughter.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
The arrivals area for domestic flights at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport is crowded. The atmosphere is festive. After more than 40 hours of travel, the Olympians are finally reunited with their families. There are peals of laughter. Tears of joy. Admiring looks.
In Charles Hamelin’s arms, Violette smiled. She puts her hand on the gold medal hanging around her father’s neck.
“I’m relieved to find them,” says the skater to The Pressa few minutes after the reunion.
“I’m really emotional. I was bawling upstairs [en m’en venant]. »
Gently, subtly, Violette tries to grab hold of our recorder. Her attempt being unsuccessful, she puts her hands in her father’s face, as if to say: “You need to talk to me, Dad”.
It’s an incredible feeling. Coming home with my two loves, I couldn’t ask for better.
Charles Hamelin
Do you realize everything that happened? we ask him.
” Not yet ! he replies, laughing. We were really in the spirit of the Games when we were there. We celebrated. But since we left, it seems like there’s been a lull in the emotions. We slept quite well. It looks like we’re coming out of the dream. It’s going to take some time before I make a connection with what really happened at the Games. »
What really happened was that he won his sixth medal in five appearances at the Olympic Games. His fourth in gold. At 37 years old.
Quebec athletes return home
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Charles Hamelin now has six Olympic medals.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Speed skater Steven Dubois
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Speed skater Kim Boutin
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Hockey player Mélodie Daoust
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The man who is nicknamed the “locomotive of Sainte-Julie” became, with long track skater Cindy Klassen, the greatest Canadian medalist in the history of the Winter Olympics.
“I just hope people will understand that if you love what you do in life, if you have dreams and you can work really hard every day and persevere, you can get anywhere. what,” he suggests.
fatherly pride
Yves Hamelin, father of Charles, was also on hand to welcome his son. He has lived, emotions, these last 20 years.
“I remember when he joined the national team, he was 18 years old, and immediately he started to settle in an area where, for him, he had a focus and that was to have the best performance. To always try to position yourself to be on the podium, ”he says.
“Throughout that journey, he constantly stayed in the right zone,” he continues. He continued in an area where he was good, he was healthy. He always got a kick out of what he was doing. That is the finest statement of performance. He did the right things to maintain that state. »
Obviously, Mr. Hamelin is proud. He has seen his son work hard, even more in the past year, when COVID-19 has greatly affected athletes. The skater never skimped on training.
“He arrived this year thinking: I can do it. And he did it, ”says the father.
To be continued
It has been several months since Charles Hamelin announced that his last lap would take place at the World Championships, which are to be held in Montreal from March 18 to 20. However, Radio-Canada reported a few days ago that the event could be moved to another country, certain vaccines against COVID-19 received by skaters not being recognized by Health Canada, which prevents certain delegations from entering. in the country.
” Yes [les Mondiaux] are in Montreal, of course I do them, assures Hamelin. If they are elsewhere, it will be up for discussion. With Vivi [Violette], it is a bit more difficult. Probably it’s going to depend on where it’s going to be. The first idea is that I do them, that’s for sure. Afterwards, it’s going to be to go with the flow and wait for the decisions. »
For the moment, the skater wants to take the time to breathe. We can understand it. He will be back in training on Thursday.
If the great career of the athlete ends soon, that of the dad has only just begun.
“When the season is over, we’re going to Punta Cana for a week with Geneviève [Tardif, sa fiancée] and Violette, he said. We leave the three together. We are getting married in June. After, [ce sera la] honeymoon in July.
“There are still plenty of amazing deals to come. »
“I can’t ask for more”
The scene of Charles Hamelin in the arms of his coach Marc Gagnon after the men’s victory in the relay, in Beijing, marked memories. By winning his sixth Olympic medal, he edged out Gagnon, who has five. “It was sick, launches the coach, challenged while he patiently waits for his luggage. [C’était] one of the finest relays the Canadian team has ever experienced. It was just impossible not to scream like crazy. It was completely stupid. We would have written this scenario that nobody would have believed it. […] You don’t choose those things in life, who’s gonna break your records. But honestly, if I had to choose, [Charles] would have been first on the list. And it happened. »