For Team BC short track speed skaters celebrating Family Day is not that difficult.
Sisters Annabelle and Jane Green (both from Burnaby) raced in the same heat as competitors twice.
Jane ended up being the only Team BC skater to qualify from repachage to the 1500 metre women’s main event, joining Samantha Spencer (Burnaby) and Sherilyn Chung (Coquitlam) Both of those skaters qualified direct to the main in yesterday’s qualification rounds.
In the semi final Team BC finished in the middle of the pack, knocking them out as only the top two from each round advances. Chung had a strong start to her race, but had an unfortunate fall near the start of the race and did not advance.
Quebec ended up sweeping the podium. Jane Green finished in seventh in B final with a time of 2:43:84 and Chung finished second in the C final with a time of 2:34:41. Spencer placed fourth with a time of 2:48:804.
In the men’s 1500 m event Noah Hyun (Port Coquitlam) skated through the first round of Repechage, qualifying for round two. There was a moment of uncertainty as Hyun, who led the full race, fell within the last few laps. It looked as if he might not qualify to main. However, the Ontario Skater had a lane violation causing Hyun to fall and lose his lead. It was announced after the event that the Ontario skater was disqualified, and Hyun would advance to main. Hyun joins Lukas Macdonald (Vancouver) and Keanan St. Rose (Prince George) in the main event, both of whom qualified on Sunday through the qualification rounds.
Macdonald started the semi final with a strong lead, maintaining this for most of the race before being taken over by skaters from Quebec, knocking him out of the race for a medal.
In the B final, St. Rose placed in third with a time of 2:27:54. Hyun finished the C final in fifth place with a time of 2:26:81 and Macdonald finished with a time of 2:36:87.
In the team relays Chung, Jane Green and twin sisters Ainsley Spencer and Samantha Spencer will have a shot at a medal after fhinishing just behind Quebec. The second place time secures them a spot in Friday’s A final.
While the men’s relay team of Marshall Shupe (Maple Ridge), St. Rose (Prince George), Macdonald and Craig Miller (Prince George) had a great start to the relay, they were chased closely by Ontario for the duration. Team BC finished with a time of 4:21:59 securing their spot in Friday’s A final.
Training will commence tomorrow and the main event for the 500 m on Wednesday, Feb. 20.