污污草莓视频

By Earl Zukerman, 污污草莓视频 & Michel B茅langer, CIS

OTTAWA 鈥� 污污草莓视频 students Nita Avrith, a third-year physiology major from Westmount, and Annik Plamondon of Longueuil, Que., are among five women on the Canadian short track speed skating squad heading to the 24th Winter Universiade this weekend in Harbin, China.

Avrith and Plamondon are both back for a second trip to the Universiade. Avrith reached the quarterfinal round of the 500-metre event in 2007, while Plamondon reached the quarterfinals in the 1500m.

Canada is sending a five-man, five-woman short track contingent to the event -- sometimes referred to as the World University Games -- and many of Team Canada鈥檚 best medal hopes at the games will come from the athletes competing at the Skating Gym at the University of Science and Technology.

Led by manager Mark Mathies and coach Stephen Gough, a 1998 污污草莓视频 graduate, the latest edition of Canada鈥檚 university short track team is a good bet to better the podium performance of the 2007 Winter Universiade squad. Two years ago in Torino, Italy, Laval鈥檚 Anne Maltais won Canada鈥檚 only medal in the sport, earning a bronze in the women鈥檚 500m.

While this year鈥檚 group will be hard pressed to challenge the record, 17-medal haul enjoyed by Canada at 1985 Universiade in Belluno, Italy, the 2009 group may very well take a shot at the medal totals posted by Canada鈥檚 speed skaters at the 2003 games in Tarvisio, Italy. That year, Concordia鈥檚 Jeff Scholten, Calgary鈥檚 Daryl Rasmussen and Marc-Andr茅 Monette of College Ahuntsic each won two medals with Scholten claiming gold in the men鈥檚 500m.

鈥淭here are two or three athletes on this year鈥檚 team who are on the threshold of breaking through on the international scene,鈥� said Speed Skating Canada communications manager Myl猫ne Croteau.

Universit茅 de Montr茅al鈥檚 Val茅rie Lambert and Coll猫ge de Maisonneuve鈥檚 Marie-Andr茅e Mendes-Campeau, both of Montreal, and University of Calgary鈥檚 Gabrielle Waddell of Red Deer, Alta., round out the women鈥檚 roster.

On the men鈥檚 side, Guillaume Bastille of Rivi猫re-du-Loup, Que., could be the one to watch in the individual competition. A member of the national senior team, Bastille (UQAM) won three bronze medals in a World Cup event in February 2008 鈥� two in the 1000m and one in the relay. He finished the 2007-08 World Cup season ranked 14th in the 1000m, and was a silver medalist in the overall standings at the 2008 Canadian Open championships.

Fellow UQAM skater Alex Boisvert-Lacroix of Sherbrooke, Que., also has the potential to post impressive results in Harbin. After bursting onto the national scene in 2007 with a surprise 500m win at a National Team Selection event, Boisvert-Lacroix followed it up with a silver medal in the relay and bronze medal in the 500m in his first ever World Cup event.

鈥淕uillaume and Alex are in a group of athletes who are right on the edge of making it to the World Cup circuit on a full-time basis,鈥� said Croteau. 鈥淩ight now we have eight or nine men consistently fighting it out for the spots on the World Cup team. At any given time, all of them could be considered for a spot on the international stage. The Universiade will provide these athletes with another opportunity to make a name for themselves at a top-end international competition.鈥�

Richard Shoebridge of Cambridge, Ont., is the lone returning athlete from the 2007 Universiade. The University of Calgary student qualified for the quarterfinals of both the 500m and 1500m events in Torino.

Fellow U of C skaters Tyler Derraugh of Winnipeg and Liam McFarlane of Medicine Hat, Alta., join Shoebridge on the men鈥檚 Universiade team. Derraugh competed at the 2003 Canada Winter Games for Team Manitoba and is a member of Speed Skating Canada鈥檚 Talent 2014 development squad. McFarlane is a member of Canada鈥檚 National development team, and was 11th overall at the first National Team selection event in 2007-08, finishing sixth in the 500m.

Canada鈥檚 participation in the Universiade is managed by the CIS International Programs.


Team Canada website:


2009 Winter Universiade website:


TEAM CANADA ROSTER: WOMEN

Name University / College Hometown

Nita Avrith 污污草莓视频 Montreal, Que.

Val茅rie Lambert Montr茅al Montreal, Que.

Marie-Andr茅e Mendes-Campeau Coll猫ge Maisonneuve Montreal, Que.

Annik Plamondon Montr茅al Longueuil, Que.

Gabrielle Waddell Calgary Red Deer, Alta.



TEAM CANADA ROSTER: MEN

Name University / College Hometown

Guillaume Bastille UQAM Rivi猫re-du-Loup, Que.

Alex Boisvert-Lacroix UQAM Sherbrooke, Que.

Tyler Derraugh Calgary Winnipeg, Man.

Liam McFarlane Calgary Medicine Hat, Alta.

Richard Shoebridge Calgary Cambridge, Ont.



STAFF

Team leader: Mark Mathies
Coach: Stephen Gough
Athletic therapist: Mireille Brosseau

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For more information please contact:


Michel B茅langer
Communications manager
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Ph: (613) 562-5670 ext. 25
Cell: (613) 447-6334
belanger [at] universitysport.ca