Only Canadian short-tracker not from Quebec looks to make mark at worlds
Bill Beacon
PMN Sports
MONTREAL — If Kim Boutin is now the top skater on the Canadian women's short-track team, Jamie MacDonald feels she's not far behind.
The 23-year-old from Fort St. James, B.C. fell in her 1,500-metre heat at the ISU world short-track speedskating championships. But she bounced back to qualify in the 500-metre and 1,000-metre events on the opening day of the event Friday at the Maurice Richard Arena.
"It's my first world championship so I'm really happy with that," said MacDonald. "I really felt in the 1,500 I was going to advance and then I just kind of fell.
"My blade just slipped and that was it. So that was very unfortunate."
It was a mostly successful day for Canada, with Samuel Girard of Ferland-et-Boileau, Que., and Charles Hamelin of Ste-Julie, Que. advancing in all three events while Boutin, of Sherbrooke, Que., won her three heats. Marianne St-Gelais of St. Felicien, Que., also wiped out in the 1,500 but advanced in the other two distances.
MacDonald is the only skater on the team not from Quebec. But she moved to the national training centre in Montreal two years ago after skating five years in Calgary.
She found the adjustment difficult, but being surrounded by top skaters has helped push her forward. She picked up a handful of medals on the World Cup circuit this season and qualified for the Olympic team, which won five medals at last month's Pyeongchang Winter Games.
"It was a very big change," said MacDonald. "I want to get a dog because I feel like I left my really good friends back in Calgary.
"I still don't know French, so that's difficult, but the girls are all so nice and the coaching staff is very welcoming. I feel very much a part of the team.
"I'm pretty quiet, so it takes me time to adjust to places, but I finally feel like I'm adjusted."
In Pyeongchang, she fell in the first heat of her only individual race, the 500 metres. She also took part in the relay, although the Canadian squad missed out on a medal.
The Olympics saw a changing of the guard on Canada's team. Girard moved past the veteran Hamelin to become Canada's top male skater and Boutin taking over from St-Gelais on the women's team.
Girard won gold at in the 1,000 and bronze in the relay while Boutin got a silver and two bronze medals and was named Canada's flag bearer for the closing ceremonies.
MacDonald feels ready to start winning regularly as well.
"I've been very driven up to this point," she said. "I've been improving every year.
"I am a bit of a late bloomer. I didn't go to any junior worlds, but I made the development team before other girls. I feel like my success has not been on a straight line. It's been all over the place. But I'm excited to see what I can do in the next four years."
There are finals in the 500- and 1,500-metre events and semifinals in the relays Saturday. The 1,000-metre final is Sunday along with the relays and 3,000-metre individual races.