There were no Drew Barrymore or Ellen Page sightings at the Pacific Coliseum Tuesday. But all the other elements of the 2009 roller derby film Whip It seemed to be accounted for as the Canadian women's relay team practiced Tuesday.
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Canada can't afford mistake in short track relay
- February 23, 2010 10:40 PM |
- By Michael Traikos
Story provided by
VANCOUVER -- There were no Drew Barrymore or Ellen Page sightings at the Pacific Coliseum Tuesday. But all the other elements of the 2009 roller derby film Whip It seemed to be accounted for as the Canadian women's relay team practiced Tuesday.
There was the attractive pack of helmeted ladies racing around a tiny oval. There was the potential for body contact and bruising. There was even a version of the sling-slot method of boosting a teammate up the ice.
It is that last tactic that concerns coach Sébastien Cros as the Canadian women prepare for Wednesday night's 3,000-metre relay final.
A 27-lap race that involves four teams and 16 total skaters, the relay is as exciting as it is confusing. Each member of a four-women team completes 2½ laps before tagging in another teammate. There is no limit to the number of exchanges. And, like a pit stop in NASCAR, these frequent changeovers can define a race.
While skaters just have to touch a teammate's body to tag them in, the best way not to lose momentum is with a shove. Placing their hands on their teammate's hips, skaters transfer their momentum with a push. When done properly, the transition from one skater to another appears seamless. When the timing is off, it has the same effect of a car stalled between gears.
"The main thing is not to make a mistake on the exchange," Cros said. "That could make a difference in the end. You don't win by the exchange, but you can lose on it. The race is very short and it is very fast. If you make one mistake, it can be huge."
"This is not the strategy. But it's what we have to be careful about."
Canada has a history of performing well in the women's relay. The team won a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics -- the first time short track was officially recognized -- and has landed on the podium in each of the other four Games.
This year's Olympic team, consisting of Jessica Gregg, Kalyna Roberge, Marianne St-Gelais and Tania Vicent, consistently won bronze medals in every World Cup competition this season. But as the fourth-ranked team in a four-team final -- China, Korea and the United States are the other teams -- Canada cannot afford a single mistake in the relay if it hopes to continue its medal streak.
"We put a lot of belief into our women's team," assistant coach Jonathon Cavar said. "They have the potential to get to the top at the podium."
Before they can skate the relay, Gregg, Roberge and Vicent will be competing in the 1,000 metres. Expectations are low -- Roberge, who is ninth in the world -- is the highest-ranking Canadian. But because the individual event takes place minutes before the team event, it is being used more as a warmup for what the Canadian team is calling the "main event."
"They want to have a good race in the 1,000 metres. But the main goal will be the relay," Cros said.
About the Author
- Bruce Arthur Bruce Arthur is the National Post's national sports columnist. A Vancouver native, he has been with the Post since 2001, and a columnist since 2005. He is covering his second Olympics, after the 2008 Games in Beijing. He expects these Games to be slightly less propagandistic, and for China to win slightly fewer medals.
- Joe O'Connor Joe O'Connor is a roving sports feature writer with an open-ended beat. He joined the National Post in 2002, and has spent the past seven years bouncing from sport to sport, offering fresh perspectives and delivering unique stories wherever he goes. Whether it has been getting Don Cherry to open up about his love life; George Chuvalo to talk about heartbreaking loss; or racing down the side of a mountain with former Crazy Canuck, Dave Irwin, the veteran Postie chases a story wherever it leads. Before joining the newspaper he was a two-time silver medalist at the National Magazine Awards. Vancouver will be his first Olympics.
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