ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Sports

    • Five-time Olympic medallist Hamelin headlines Canada's short-track team for Beijing

    Share

    Short-track speedskating star Charles Hamelin has become a Canadian fixture of the Winter Olympics, an almost sure bet to climb the medal podium.

    But at 37-years-old, and with the COVID-19 pandemic upending the Canadian team's preparation, nothing is routine around what will be Hamelin's fifth and final Olympic appearance.

    “(Beijing) is I think the hardest one, yes, a little bit because of the age, but for sure because of the pandemic, it didn't put us in a perfect situation,†Hamelin said. “Well, everyone on the planet is not in a perfect situation. But for us athletes being away from what we love the most, and what we need to do every single day of the year was difficult, and it changed us.

    “I think we adapted a lot.â€

    The skater from Sainte-Julie Que., who has five Olympic medals including three gold, headlines the 10-member Canadian short-track Olympic team announced Tuesday. The squad is a mix of veterans, including Hamelin and Olympic medallists Kim Boutin and Pascal Dion, plus seven skaters who'll make their Olympic debuts.

    “I think we might just have the strongest team speedskating Canada has ever sent to the Olympics,†Susan Auch, Speed Skating Canada's CEO, said during the team's virtual unveiling Tuesday

    Despite the COVID-19 upheaval, the Canadian team rolls into Beijing on the heels of 17 World Cup medals captured this fall.

    “That was impressive for a very, very young team,†said Marc Schryburt, the team's high performance director. “If we take away the 37 years of Charles Hamelin, we are very young.â€

    “We got four years to prepare for Olympic Games, and two of those four years were under pandemic,†added Schryburt.

    Hamelin won the 1,500 metres - his 12th world title - at the world championships last spring, the Canadian team's first international competition in more than a year due to COVID-19.

    Hamelin saw a silver lining in the pandemic. He had time to focus on areas of his training often neglected amid the crazy competitive schedule. He said his ability to adapt has been what's kept him among the top in the world since his Olympic debut 16 years ago.

    “And I'm still able to be performing well, on every level in 2022,†Hamelin said on Tuesday's Zoom call, his one-year-old daughter Violette gurgling in the background.

    Hamelin is tied with short-track speedskaters Marc Gagnon, who'll be an assistant coach in Beijing, and Francois-Louis Tremblay, and figure skater Scott Moir as Canada's most decorated male Winter Olympians.

    Boutin, the world record-holder in the 500 metres, won a silver medal and two bronze four years ago in Pyeongchang, and was selected Canada's flag-bearer at the closing ceremonies for her outstanding Games debut.

    “I can't believe it's already time to reconnect with the Olympic rings,†said Boutin. “I'm returning to the Games, but this time my eyes and heart will be wide open and I'm going to take in every single moment.â€

    The 27-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., stepped away from speedskating during the pandemic to focus on her mental health.

    “I've been through a lot of challenges and I realized that I was kind of a control freak about those elements and that I needed to go to accept the difference in the challenges,†Boutin said. “I feel I'm a different person (from four years ago), I'm a different racer too, I feel like I can more race with my head right now.â€

    Boutin said the focus was on racing well, not winning medals.

    “It's really to be at peace with the ice, to be present in each race,†she said. “I know that I'm really a good competitor. I feel like I'm (among) the best skaters in the world. . . . so I'm focused on: I know that I can win this race, but I know that I'm a part of a big, big, big bunch of good skaters. It's an exciting process instead of pressure to win the race.â€

    Dion is the team's other veteran. The Montreal skater won bronze in Pyeongchang.

    Canada has a tradition of excellence in short-track, racing to 33 Olympic medals - nine gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze - since the sport was added to the Olympic program in 1992 in Albertville. It's the country's most successful Winter Games sport behind only long-track speedskating (37 medals).

    The team was chosen based on performances at four ISU World Cup Short Track competitions this fall.

    Head coach Sebastien Cros said he's excited about the team.

    “We have a good mix of experience and youth, and we showed great potential in the first part of the season thanks to a bold and proactive strategy in our races,†he said. “The objective will be to approach the Olympic events with the same energy in order to replicate this level of performance.â€

    The rest of the team is made up of Montreal's Maxime Laoun and Alyson Charles, Steven Dubois (Terrebonne, Que.), Jordan Pierre-Gilles (Sherbrooke, Que.), Danae Blais (Chateauguay, Que.), Florence Brunelle (Trois-Rivieres, Que.) and Courtney Sarault (Moncton, N.B.).

    The alternates are William Dandjinous and Camille de Serres-Rainville, both of Montreal.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2022.

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    Canada

    • Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan has pulled out of a national body representing Métis, citing problems with an Ontario group and throwing the future of the Métis National Council into question.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • It was the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge Friday as hundreds of family, friends and fans attended a public memorial in Calgary.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • When Bernard Morissette got a call from Loto-Quebec on Sept. 18 and was asked if he was sitting down, he had no idea what was coming his way.

    • An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    Sports

    • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have won five in a row. The Edmonton Elks have won five of their last six games. They are the two hottest teams in the West. When they meet Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium, something has to give.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • F1 star Max Verstappen punished over bad word

      Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was ordered to 'accomplish some work of public interest' after uttering an inappropriate word Thursday at the news conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    • Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

    • The debate over sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools is heating up. Protests both for and against SOGI in the curriculum took place across the country Friday.

    • A fire that destroyed a historic bridge in Kamloops, B.C., is now being investigated as arson, local Mounties say.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • One person was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after a multi-vehicle collision in Milton, Ont. on Friday night.

    • The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.

    • Environment Canada issued a frost advisory for Calgary late Friday afternoon.

    • Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is urging the Alberta government to preserve pieces of the massive Green Line transit project now being dissolved.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • For years, the commute to Ottawa's west end was one of the biggest complaints for attending fans. But those who live in Kanata and in the immediate LeBreton area say the move would be a big change their respective neighbourhoods.

    • Ottawa police are investigating a shooting downtown Friday afternoon.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • When Bernard Morissette got a call from Loto-Quebec on Sept. 18 and was asked if he was sitting down, he had no idea what was coming his way.

    • A man who asserted his right to work in French has won his case before the Tribunal, invoking the new provisions of the province's French-language law (Bill 96) to that effect.

    • Two Edmonton Police Service officers have been criminally charged in connection with an assault.

    • There's a friendship in the Edmonton Oilers crease between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

    • A woman is dead after a highway collision on Saddle Lake Cree Nation.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • Mattea Roach among the Maritimers honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal Friday.

    • The Halifax Regional Detachment of the RCMP is asking the public for assistance locating a man wanted on a provincewide arrest warrant in relation to an assault in Lower Sackville.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A plane approaches the grass runway at Harv’s Air School south of Steinbach. Nothing is getting in the way of a clear, smooth landing, but owner Harv Penner worries, that could soon change.

    • The University of Manitoba's College of Dentistry is dealing with some unexpected consequences from the federal government's new Canadian Dental Care Plan

    • Five Regina schools were placed into lockdown or secure the building mode following a report of a weapons investigation at Miller High School on Friday.

    • A 21-year-old man from Codette, Sask. is facing numerous charges in connection to a fatal crash near Wapella, Sask. Wednesday night that claimed the life of a 22-year-old Alberta woman.

    • The City of Regina and provincial government have committed a combined $400,000 to Carmichael Outreach for an 80-person warming space set to open no later than Nov. 1.

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas are being monitored at Brantford Collegiate Institute after a leak in their geothermal system.

    • A new scam is being reported in communities across the country.

    • A garage fire in Saskatoon’s Willows neighbourhood on Friday narrowly missed igniting an attached home, according to the fire department.

    • The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan has pulled out of a national body representing Métis, citing problems with an Ontario group and throwing the future of the Métis National Council into question.

    • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    • A man is in hospital with life threatening injuries following a collision between a motorcycle and a vehicle on Friday afternoon.

    • NEW

      NEW

      Under intense cross-examination from Crown Attorney Jennifer Moser, the embattled former Mayor of Woodstock stuck to his story denying that he ever did anything inappropriate to his female accuser.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

    • A jury has found a Barrie man guilty of second-degree murder for the stabbing death of a man at a Banff bar two years ago.

    • The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is searching for the occupants of a vehicle caught on security cameras during a fatal police-involved shooting on Goyeau Street.

    • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family’s backyard pool.

    • The federal government is investing $18.4 million dollars into the region.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • The Old Man Lake wildfire near Sooke is the only one currently burning on Vancouver Island. It’s a region of the province that this year saw a drastic drop in blazes in the backcountry.

    • Police in Victoria, B.C. issued a warning this week about lighters that look like pistols, saying they have received 20 reports of firearms in public spaces since July 1 that turned out to be gun-shaped torches.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • After a summer of preparation, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are ready to open the 2024-25 season.

    • As a new semester is underway, Lethbridge Polytechnic and the University of Lethbridge say the number of students on campus is on the rise.

    • A Lethbridge resident is facing charges after police seized drugs and weapons at a traffic stop for bicycle equipment violations.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News