Next Saturday, François-Olivier Roberge, a 20-year old Canadian,
will participate in the 1000m race, at his first Olympic Games. Even
though he may not be as experienced as many other skaters, Roberge has
his youth, and admits that each race seems him going faster and faster.
He was barely a second behind world-record holder Shani Davis at the
World Cup in Collalbo, the last competition before the Games.
Ericka has skated on the US World Junior Long Track Team for the past
three years and earned a silver medal in the team pursuit this past
March with her teammates Lana Gehring, Mia Manganello and Nancy Swider
Peltz, Jr at Junior Country Match in Berlin. This year she’ll attempt
to make the team for a fourth time along with the World Junior Short
Track Team. Ericka began skating at age two after being introduced to
the sport by her mother, who skated, along with other members of her
mother's family.
From Germany, Guido Hegener described us the situation of short track speed skating in his country. He explained us that the lack of success from Germany in that sport is probably due to the poor popularity and the insuffisant number of young skaters.
In
excellent shape this past summer, Jean-François Monette does not succeed
qualifying himself to the Olympics. Visibly pursued by bad luck during Canadian
short track speed skating Olympic selections, he explains to us how the lack of
mental preparation can ruined for a perfect physical preparation. He also talks
us about his try in long track. Finally, he describes a typical day of
training.
