Saturday, January 19, 2002
Lace'm up for Olys
By GREG Di CRESCE -- Winnipeg Sun
Manitoba's Olympic hopes rest on steel blades.
In Calgary yesterday, Canada's team for the 2002 Winter Olympics was announced and eight Manitobans were selected to represent their country in Salt Lake City.
Four long-track speed skaters -- Susan Auch, Mike Ireland, Clara Hughes and Cindy Klassen -- two female hockey players --forward Jennifer Botterill and goalie Sami Jo Small -- and two male hockey players -- forward Theoren Fleury and goalie Ed Belfour -- will try and chase down a gold for Canada from Feb. 8 through Feb. 24.
MEDALLED BEFORE
"Going to the Olympics is going to be really cool," said Klassen, 22, via phone yesterday.
"I have medalled before (in World Cup events), so maybe an Olympic medal is possible. ... Even a top five finish in any distance would be great."
The Olympic rookie from North Kildonan, who shared Speed Skating Canada's Female Skater of the Year award with Catriona Le May Doan in 2001, will be racing in the 1,000 metre, 1,500m, 3,000m and 5,000m.
"I also think it's great that I'll be there with so many other Manitoban skaters. ... I'm not sure why our province produces so many great skaters, I think it must having something to do with skating outdoors in the harsh climate," said the graduate of Mennonite Brethren Collegiate.
Winnipegger Mike Ireland, a long-track veteran of the 1994 Olympics, laughed in agreement with Klassen's theory.
"Yeah, the climate sort of weeds out the weak," Ireland said yesterday from Norway.
Ireland, 28, the 2001 World Sprint Champion, is in Hamar, Norway, this weekend to defend his title.
"My approach to these Olympics will be no different to how I approach any World Cup event," he said. "Look, everyone builds it up to be something more than it is. But there are no aliens coming from another planet to compete against you. It's the same people in the same sport performing in the same venue, that's it."
Ireland missed the 1998 Winter Games because of a pulled groin and had to watch the sprints on TV from a bed.
"The first time I went to the Olympics it was my second international event and I didn't really do anything there," he said. "This time I aim have a personal best and if there is any extra pressure to do well it'll only come from me. I really don't care what any one else thinks about how I perform but myself."
For Susan Auch, 35, the pressure of competing in her fifth Olympics has been balanced by the excitement of returning to the skating scene.
STILL LOVE TO SKATE
"You know, I'm really surprised that I'm still skating. I guess it proves I still love to skate," Auch said yesterday from Norway.
The two-time Olympic silver medalist, who retired from speed skating for the 1998-99 season, said this time around she plans on "experiencing the entire package."
Auch won a silver in the 500m sprint in Lillehammer in 1994 and at Nagano in 1998, and won a bronze in the 3,000m relay (short track/demonstration sport) in Calgary in 1988.
And Auch will not be the only Manitoban at these games with an Olympic medal in their past. Clara Hughes looks at the experience she gained by winning two bronze medals in cycling (track and road racing) at the 1996 Summer Games.
"Definitely, those past experiences will certainly help, but going to the Winter Games has been a dream of mine since I was 16 years old and it's sort of weird being 29 and living your dream," said Hughes, who has qualified to skate in both the 3,000m and 5,000m races.
2002 Games Long Track Speed Skating Coverage
