The 2015 Canada Winter Games in British Columbia may be two years away, but Speed Skate P.E.I. is preparing now by hosting a skater identification session on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Charlottetown Civic Centre with a plan to build its roster of training team prospects.
“We have some very high-level skaters in our club right now, including a pair of Canadian age class champions and we know there are many more great young athletes on P.E.I. who could also excel in this sport,” said Rob Binns, Speed Skate P.E.I. president, in a release.
Binns says most people don’t realize that several of Canada’s national team members and Olympic medalists in speedskating didn’t start in the sport when they were very young.
“Many of them were teenagers involved in other sports before they ever tried speed skating.”
The province can send up to 18 speedskaters to the Games, with teams of five male and five female short track competitors, along with four males and four females for long track.
To be eligible for the 2015 Games, skaters must have been born between July 1, 1995 and June 30, 2000.
Speed Skate P.E.I. expects to name a short track coach for the 2015 Canada Games team soon and training teams later in the season.
Participants at the ID session should bring hockey skates, a helmet, neck guard and gloves. Registration isn’t required.
Contact Speed Skate P.E.I. at info@speedskatepei.ca.
On the web at www.speedskatepei.com
