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2002 Salt Lake City: Short-track speed skaters

On skates and skis and snowboards, Canadians are nothing short of spectacular. From cocky snowboarder Ross Rebagliati to shy speed skater Gaétan Boucher to prairie girl Sandra Schmirler, Canada has groomed some of the finest winter athletes to take the world stage. CBC Archives presents a selection of Canada's golden winter Olympians.

"When we are together, I think nobody can beat us," says short-track speed-skater Eric Bédard in this CBC Television report. In a rink in Montreal, the men's and women's short-track stars train together, eat together and play together. As a unit, they feel invincible. With spectacular stumbles and dizzying speed, short-track speed-skating has become one of the most exciting spectator sports. In Salt Lake City, the men's and women's teams won't disappoint and will claim five medals at Team Canada's finest Winter Olympics.

• At the 1994 Olympics, Gagnon won bronze in Lillehammer and at the 1998 Games he anchored the relay team's gold medal performance. In Salt Lake City, the three-time Olympian won gold medals in the 500m and the relay (along with Jonathan Guilmette, François-Louis Tremblay, Mathieu Turcotte and Eric Bédard) and bronze in the 1,500m rendering him Canada's most decorated Winter Olympian. In September 2002, Gagnon announced his retirement from amateur sports. • The Canadian women's team of Isabelle Charest, Marie-Eve Drolet, Alanna Kraus, and Amélie Goulet-Nadon won bronze in the women's 3,000m relay in Salt Lake City.

• Isabelle Charest won a silver medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. In Nagano and Salt Lake City, Charest claimed bronze medals and announced her retirement from amateur sport following the 2002 Olympics.

• Short-track speed-skater Jonathan Guilmette also won silver in the men's 500m event.

• Short-track speed-skating was introduced as a full medal sport in 1992 in Albertville. Short-track skaters reach speeds of up to 50km/h. Since the ice rink is crowded and athletes push and pass each other chaotically, wipe-outs and collisions are common.

• Canada brought home a record 17 medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Cross-country skier Beckie Scott was upgraded from bronze to silver to gold after a doping scandal disqualified the top two medallists. The men's and women's hockey teams delighted Canada with their gold-medal performances as did pairs figure skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier and long-track speed-skater Catriona LeMay Doan. Freestyle skier Veronica Brenner put forth a dazzling performance and earned silver as did the men's curling team (Kevin Martin, Don Walchuk, Carter Rycroft, Don Bartlett, Ken Tralnberg). Long-track speed-skater Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes won bronze medals along with the women's curling team (Kelley Law, Julie Skinner, Georgina Wheatcraft , Diane Nelson), and freestyle skier Deidra Dionna.

Medium: Television
Stock-shot
Program: The National
Broadcast Date: Feb. 8, 2002
Guest(s): Éric Bedard, Isabelle Charest, Marc Gagnon
Reporter: Lynne Robson
Duration: 4:54

Last updated: May 24, 2012

Page consulted on April 2, 2013

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