Canadian Roundup: Too much awesome to fit in one headline
Feature photo: Ivanie Blondin celebrates winning the women’s mass start World Championship on February 14, 2016.
If Canadians did one thing this weekend it was climb international podiums. From winning World Cup medals on the ski slopes to becoming a World Champion on ice, there was no shortage of medals to be found.
We also had athletes bring home hardware and make history in summer sports. Going back to the winter stuff, there was even a new ski jump national record. Now, without hesitation here is all the awesomeness:
Long Track Speed Skating
READ: Blondin becomes mass start world champion
Sunday ended a big week for Canada at the ISU World Single Distances Championships in Russia. Olympian Ivanie Blondin became the women’s long track speed skating mass start champion. In men’s events Alex Boisvert-Lacroix won bronze in the 500m, Ted-Jan Bloemen won silver in the in 10,000m before he teamed up with Jordan Belchos and Benjamin Donnelly to finish third in team pursuit.
Short Track Speed Skating
READ: Speed skaters pick up five short track medals in Netherlands
Charle Cournoyer, of Canada, celebrates a gold medal in men’s 1000m at the ISU World Cup Short Track speed skating event in Toronto on Sunday, November 8, 2015.
Canadian short track speed skaters claimed five medals at the final ISU World Cup event on Sunday in Dordrecht, Netherlands. Olympic medallist Marianne St-Gelais claimed the 1500m title and followed up with a 500m bronze, while Jamie MacDonald finished third in the 1000m. Charle Cournoyer won the men’s 1000m title, while Valérie Maltais picked up silver in the women’s event.
Bobsleigh
READ: Humphries and Lotholz add world championship silver
Kaillie Humphries and Melissa Lotholz celebrate their silver medal at the IBSF World Championships in Igls, Austria on February 13, 2016.
Kaillie Humphries and Melissa Lotholz continued their impressive season with a silver medal at the IBSF World Championships in Igls, Austria on Saturday. The pair made a podium appearance in every major women’s bobsleigh race this season and will look to finish their World Cup season ranked first overall in Konigssee, Germany on February 26.
Ski Cross:
READ: Canada claims three ski cross World Cup medals in Sweden
Marielle Thompson (centre) on the podium in first place at the World Cup in Idre Fjall, Sweden on February 14, 2016.
Olympic champion Marielle Thompson, led Canada at the FIS World Cup in Idre Fjall with a silver and gold ski cross medals in two days. Chris Del Bosco also made the podium on Saturday, after finishing second in the men’s event.
Snowboard
READ: Parrot heads big air World Cup 1-2 Canadian finish in Quebec City
Max Parrot, first (centre) and Tyler Nicholson, second (left) celebrate on the FIS World Cup big air podium on Feb. 13, 2016.
Max Parrot won two big air World Cup titles starting with a win at Fenway Park on Thursday (where four Canadians reached the podium) and ending with a home victory in Quebec on Saturday. Tyler Nicholson also landed a spot on the podium, after finishing second on Canadian soil.
Luge
READ: Canada wins luge team relay World Cup silver in Altenberg
Kimberley McRae in women’s luge at a World Cup in Altenberg, Germany on February 14, 2016.
Canada slid to a team relay silver at the FIL World Cup in Altenburg, Germany. Olympians Kim McRae, Mitch Malyk, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith brought home Canada’s second World Cup medal of the season. The team will look to earn their third podium finish in all competitions in 2015-16 next weekend, at the final World Cup event in Winterberg Germany.
Ski Jumping
Olympian Mackenzie Boyd Clowes shattered his own Canadian ski jumping distance record (of 212.5 meters), after flying to 221.5m at the FIS World Cup in Vikersund, Norway. Clowes’ jump achieved his season goal of surpassing the 220m mark, the Canadian finished 21 in the competition.
Soccer
READ: Sinclair’s historic goal; Canada inches closer to Rio
Christine Sinclair (second from right) is congratulated by teammates after scoring her 159th career international goal on February 14, 2016.
Canada won its second regional (CONCACAF) qualification match in Houston against Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 on Sunday. Christine Sinclair also made history after she scored her 159th goal, moving to second all-time among international women’s players. Canada will play its final round robin match on Tuesday against Guatemala.
Tennis
READ: Pospisil wins doubles title in Rotterdam with Mahut
Nicolas Mahut (left), Vasek Pospisil after winning a match in Rotterdam (via ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament).
Vasek Pospisil and France’s Nicolas Mahut celebrated their first doubles tournament win in Rotterdam, Netherlands on Sunday. The team beat Germany’s Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Peya of Austria 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the final to take the ATP 500-level doubles title.
Freestyle Wrestling
READ: Lappage and Mian wrestle to silver and bronze in Ukraine
Olympic bound wrestlers Danielle Lappage and Jasmine Mian headed to Kiev, Ukraine for the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial invitational tournament. Lappage claimed the silver medal in the women’s 63kg completion, while Mian won bronze in the 48kg event.
Youth Olympic Games
READ: Youth Olympic Games blog, by Eric Mitchell
Eric Watts celebrates his bronze medal on the luge singles podium at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway on February 13, 2016.
Team Canada kicked off the Youth Olympic Games this weekend in Lillehammer, Norway. Luge athlete Reid Watts won the nation’s first medal in the men’s singles competition, after clocking a final run of one minute, 35.994 seconds to secure bronze on Saturday.
