RIVER HEIGHTS SPEED SKATING CLUB: Skater Bios
Shannon Remple | |
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Born: 26/11/84 Winnipeg, MB
Club: Canadian Sprint Team
Current residence: Calgary, Alberta
Specialty: Sprint
Years on team: 4 years
Occupation: Student (General Studies)
Coaches : Sean Ireland
Training Centre: Calgary, Alberta
History: former ringette player who started speed skating at age 10
- NAGANO, Japan -- Shannon Rempel had a weekend to remember. Saturday Dec 09 2006 (Excerpt from Winnipeg Free Press)
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Shannon Rempel just wanted to deliver a performance she could be happy with after a frustrating start to the season. The 22-year-old Winnipeg native did that and more on Saturday as she earned her first career win on the long-track speedskating World Cup circuit with a victory in the women's 1,000 metres. Rempel clocked one minute and 16.88 seconds to upset Chiara Simionato of Italy, the winner in the previous two 1,000 metre World Cup races. Nao Kodaira of Japan was third.- Sunday Dec 10 2006 Rempel adds bronze to gold as she Climbs the podium twice in 2 days The Winnipeg native stepped on the podium for the second straight day Sunday, earning bronze in the women's 1,000 metres at a World Cup long-track speed skating event.
- Shannon Rempel is Going to the Olympics
- Excerpt from Winnipeg Free Press article written by Paul Wiecek on Thursday, January 5, 2006:
- "They'll all wear the colours of Canada on their backs, but the heart of this country's 2006 Olympic speed skating team will be Manitobans hardened by prairie winters. Five of the 19 members of Canada's Turin-bound speed skating team, unveiled to the media here at the Olympic Oval yesterday, are native Winnipeggers -- Cindy Klassen, Clara Hughes, Mike Ireland, Shannon Rempel and Brittany Schussler. That's not only more Manitobans than this province has ever had on the national speed skating team at one Olympics, it's also two more athletes than the entire Olympic contingent of three that Manitoba sent to the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics. Manitoba sent eight athletes to Salt Lake City in 2002."
- Rempel, who grew up in Charleswood, is just 21-years-old but was hailed yesterday as one of the rising stars of the Canadian skating program -- and a legitimate medal threat in her own right. Rempel credited former Winnipeg skater and two-time Olympic medallist Susan Auch with giving her the inspiration to persevere through those cold practices at Sargent Park."
- Shannon Rempel Wins Silver at Speed Skating Championships Shannon Rempel, originally from the St. James Speed Skating Club, won silver in the 1,000m at the Long Track Speed Skating World Cup January 14, 2005. Shannon overcame a wobble on the last crossover to finish second with a personal best 1:15.95. It was her second World Cup medal this season."I knew if I wanted to get a medal tonight Id have to get a personal best," said Shannon, the world junior champion in 2003. "I was aggressive and really psyched for that last lap. Itd been a few weeks since the last World Cup and I was feeling a little bit nervous, but we really prepared well for this." In the women's 500, Rempel notched another top-10 finish clocking a personal best 38.10 for sixth spot.
Congratulations, Shannon!! We are really proud of you!! - "They'll all wear the colours of Canada on their backs, but the heart of this country's 2006 Olympic speed skating team will be Manitobans hardened by prairie winters. Five of the 19 members of Canada's Turin-bound speed skating team, unveiled to the media here at the Olympic Oval yesterday, are native Winnipeggers -- Cindy Klassen, Clara Hughes, Mike Ireland, Shannon Rempel and Brittany Schussler. That's not only more Manitobans than this province has ever had on the national speed skating team at one Olympics, it's also two more athletes than the entire Olympic contingent of three that Manitoba sent to the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics. Manitoba sent eight athletes to Salt Lake City in 2002."
Mike Ireland
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Born: 03/01/74 Winnipeg, MB
Club: River Heights
Current residence: Calgary, Alberta
Specialty: Sprint
Years on team: 12 years
Occupation: Student (Arts)
Coaches : Sean Ireland
Training Centre: Calgary
Mike Ireland specialises in the sprint distances (the 500 m and the 1,000 m). He participated in the 500 m at the 1994 Winter Olympics (finishing 26th), the 500 m (6th) and 1,000 m (14th) at the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 500 m (7th) at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Ireland was the 2001 World Sprint Champion, while winning several more medals at several World Championships, and he also set a world record on the 1,000 m (only to be broken 8 days later by compatriot Jeremy Wotherspoon).
James Monson
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Born: 24/05/75 Winnipeg, MB
Club: River Heights
Current residence:Calgary, AB
Specialty: Sprint
Years on team: 3years
Occupation: Athlete
Coaches : Sean Ireland, Neal Marshall
Training Centre: Calgary, AB
Highlights
Quick Facts
Cindy Klassen
Cindy Klassen
Born: 12/08/79 Winnipeg, Manitoba
Club: Winnipeg
Current residence: Calgary, Alberta ...
Sean Ireland (right)
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Born: 14/11/69 Winnipeg, MB
Current residence: Calgary, Alberta
Years on team: 8 years
Training Centre: Calgary, Alberta
Highlights
Clara Hughes
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Born: 27/09/72 Winnipeg, MB
Club: Sherbrooke
Current residence: Glen Sutton, QC
Specialty: All Round
Years on team: 4 years
Occupation: Student (Fine Arts)
Coaches : Xiuli Wang
Training Centre: Calgary, Alberta
The Olympic dream of Clara Hughes began in 1988 when she caught her first glimpse of the Winter Games on Television. Watching speed skaters glide around the oval inspired her to believe that one day she, too, could represent Canada in that same sport. Little did she imagine that in pursuing her speed skating dream, she would first compete in two Summer Olympic Games, in the sport of cycling.
With over one hundred victories under her belt, including two bronze medals in the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, medals in both the Pan American and Commonwealth Games, plus numerous World Cycling and National Championship titles, Clara had established herself as one of the best cyclists in the world. It was now time to refocus and pursue her Speed Skating Dream.
The 2000/01 season on ice, her first in ten years, was full of unprecedented achievements. Clara earned a spot on the National Team after only seven weeks of specific training. Then Clara shocked the sporting world during the 2002 Olympic Games when, only sixteen months after competing in her second Summer Olympics as a cyclist, she won a bronze medal in the grueling 5000m speed skating event. This, along with her two medals from the 1996 Summer Olympics in cycling, made Clara the only Canadian and fourth ever athlete in history to win medals in both Winter and Summer Games.
Clara became one of the top long-distance skaters in the world over the past five years. With World Cup victories, a World Championships title and a World Record in the epic 10,000m event, Clara was a definite favorite for the recent Winter Olympic games in Torino, Italy.
And she did not disappoint, winning gold in the 5000m in a gripping race that saw her take the lead with only 200m to go in the 5000m race. Along with her silver medal in the Team Pursuit, Clara became the only athlete in history to win multiple medals in Winter and Summer Olympics.
Wednesday, August 16
Brittany Schussler
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Born: 21/04/85 Winnipeg, MB
Club: Winnipeg
Current residence: Calgary, AB
Specialty: Sprint & Middle distances
Years on team: 3 years
Occupation: Student
Coaches : Neal Marshall
Training Centre: Calgary
Highlights
Ranked fourth in the 1500m in Canada for 2004-2005
Had personal bests in the 500m and 1500m in 2004-2005
Placed fifth overall at the 2004 Canadian Sprint Championships
Placed fourth overall at the 2002 & 2003 World Junior Championships
Bronze medallist in the 1500m at the 2003 World Junior Championships
Had top 8 finishes in 4 World Junior Championships
At the age of 14 she placed 5th overall at the 2000 World Junior Championships
Quick Facts
Started speed skating at the age of 7
Interests include reading and soccer
Won provincial high school championship in soccer
Named Manitoba Youth Athlete of the Year for 2002 and 2003
Superstitions: always puts on left skate first
February 26, 2006: DAY 16 Olympic Oval Medal Count
February 26, 2006:
DAY 16 Olympic Oval Medal Count
Gold - Clara Hughes, Speed Skating 5000m
Bronze ...