Monday, January 14, 2002
Gunning for gold in 2006
Rempel content to wait turn
By GLEN DAWKINS -- Winnipeg Sun
Ever since speed skater Shannon Rempel returned from Calgary this month, she's had to answer one question over and over.
For those who haven't asked already, we'll clear it up: she isn't going to the Olympics next month.
"I had my goals set to make the Olympics," said the 17-year-old, who captured the Canadian women's sprint crown at last month's national championships in Calgary. "I think it was more disappointing to come back and having people ask if I made it."
The youngest member of the national team, Rempel won all four races in a field that was missing world and defending Olympic 500-metre champion Catriona Le May Doan and fellow Winnipegger and two-time Olympic bronze medallist Susan Auch because of a World Cup event in Salt Lake City.
"I could have gone to Salt Lake City for the World Cup but I chose not to," said Rempel, watching the action yesterday at the Silver Skates Meet at the Susan Auch Oval. "In Salt Lake City, I would only skate the 1,000 metres and my goal was to make it to the Olympics in the 500.
PUMPED ABOUT PROSPECTS
"I knew I had a good chance of winning (in Calgary) because Catriona and two other national team members were in Salt Lake City. I'd been skating pretty consistent the whole year so it wasn't a really big shock for me to have those times."
The experience left her more pumped than ever about her prospects for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
"I'm the youngest one on the team by about four years so for me to be skating at the level that I'm at right now I'm pretty happy with that," said Rempel. "In four years, I can see myself at the Olympics."
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
For now, Rempel can concentrate on the schoolwork she missed when she was in Calgary for six weeks training and competing and preparing for the world junior championships, March 1-3 in Collalbo, Italy. Rempel competed in the last two world juniors, winning a silver in the 500 and a bronze in the 1,000 last year.
There is expected to be a changing of the guard among the Canadian women's sprint team over the next two years. Auch is considering retiring after Salt Lake City and Le May Doan may not be too far behind her. With that in mind, Rempel plans to move to Calgary to train fulltime after she graduates from high school in June.
"I have no option almost," said Rempel, who can qualify for the world juniors at the Canadian junior championships Feb. 1-2 in Saskatoon.
"We get (the ice) here way too late in the season. I spent a lot of time in Calgary this year even over the summer and the months prior to my competitions."
While having skaters like Rempel and Canadian all-around champ Britanny Schussler around as role models is a definite asset, provincial coach Crispin Parkinson realizes that their time here is limited.
"It's something you live with," he said. "Once they're done high school, they move to Calgary where the national training centre is. It's in their best interests to do that. Unfortunately, we lose skaters that way. But hopefully, we're generating more that will be at that level. It's unfortunate sometimes but it's good for the two skaters."
2002 Games Short Track Speed Skating Coverage
