Trials and Tribulations

JG.com: So I’d like to give you some scenarios for the Trials, to give everyone a better idea of how the scoring works.

Jonathan: Ok.

JG.com: Is it possible for a skater to never finish first at any of the distances and still skate all of the distances at the Olympics?

Jonathan: Yeah, yeah it is possible not to win a distance – like François-Louis is first overall and probably he’s gonna skate two distances at the Games, or at least he can try the 500 and the 1000. He was 4^th in the 15. If he wasn’t disqualified in the 1500 final, he would have skated the 15, too at the place of Charles. So, it’s possible. You just gotta be consistent.

Photo by Lori J. Bayne

Flou Tremblay & Jonathan Guilmette keep their legs warm between races

JG.com: Ok. Now, what if a person is the highest-scoring skater in more than one distance in the Trials or if they sweep and win all the distances, how are the remaining skaters selected?

Jonathan: The overall [scores]. Bedard won the 500 and Mathieu won the 1000 and the 1500, I think, so those two skaters are sure to be Top 5, and then the rest is overall classification. So that’s why you gotta be consistent in every distance.

JG.com: This isn't about scoring, but it has to do with the relay. As a team, why do they allow five members to get medals when only four can skate the final? Since when have they allowed that?

Jonathan: Since … since always, I guess. It’s always been like this. It’s a rule that you enter five skaters in a World Championship or a World Cup and on a relay team, you can pick any of those five skaters, but you pick four for your semi or your final, but you can switch them between each round. It’s kind of an alternate, but he can do races. He’s not only there if there’s an injury. It’s the coaches who decide that.

JG.com: Is there anything else you wanted to add about the Trials and how they work?

Jonathan: Ah, no. That covers everything.

Photo by Lori J. Bayne

Jonathan puts on his neck protector before taking the ice

JG.com: Can we talk a bit about where you go from here?

Jonathan: Sure.

JG.com: Now you said earlier tonight that the Olympic Team and coaches will be going to Thailand for vacation next, and then what’s after that?

Jonathan: Yeah, Thailand for vacation. To Phuket. It’s like the biggest island in Thailand. I hope it’s not too devastated still from the tsunami. It’s more of a tourist trap. Then we’re going to World Cups in Asia; China and Korea.

JG.com: And when do those start?

Jonathan: Like in two weeks, three weeks? Yeah, three weeks. So we’re gonna train in Montréal and we’re gonna skate [for a week], then we go for one week off in Thailand, and then we’re going to China for World Cups. I don’t even know where! I think Korea’s in Seoul, and China, I don’t know what city we’re going [to]. I don’t think it’s Beijing or Harbin. It’s a new city we’ve never been [to], which is good.

JG.com: Oh, so new ice!

Jonathan: Yeah, new ice. It’s always good, it’s always the same in China. The ice is always the same. I don’t know what they do to it, but it always feels the same.

JG.com: Is it good ice, or bad?

Jonathan: Oh, it’s good, very good ice in China. And the ice was pretty good here, too, all week long. It was super-good. 'Cause usually here it’s not very good ice. But it was better than usual. Thank God. Or whoever ... or whatever … (we both start to laugh, because Jonathan has less-than-mainstream views on God.) … it’s just an expression, "Thank God".

JG.com: Well, I won’t hold you to anything.

Jonathan: I have a new super-good movie, it’s like my new best movie of all time.

JG.com: Better than Star Wars?

Jonathan: Yeah.

JG.com: What is it?

www.WhatTheBleep.com

Animation from What the Bleep Do We Know

www.WhatTheBleep.com

Animation from What the Bleep Do We Know

Jonathan: It’s called, “What the Bleep Do We Know?” It’s like saying “What the f**k do we know?”, but it’s “What the Bleep Do We Know?” It’s an independent movie. It’s like a documentary about quantum physics, and there’s a lot of complicated stuff, but it explains a lot and there’s a website on it, and you can just go and check it out. http://www.WhatTheBleep.com There [are] a lot of books related to that and people who are talking [in the movie], and [there are] a lot of scientists who are talking in the movie. It’s about life. It’s super-good. It’s like about the way you approach life and the way you see life and a lot about your emotions, the way [things] react in your body. They talk about a lot of stuff: water and how it reacts to energy, it’s crazy! But it’s so good! Best movie … EVER!

JG.com: We’ll have to check it out then.

Jonathan: Yeah, you really should.

JG.com: Well, thanks so much for everything!

Jonathan: Thanks to you. And I’m gonna send a lot of things for the site this season. It’s an Olympic year and I’m going to the Olympics (I clap, saying "yay" softly, and he laughs), so I’ll send lots of pictures and stuff … it’s gonna be great! Cool!

I think I speak for everyone when I say, we look forward to it all!!

Interview conducted in person on 09.11.05 by Lori J. Bayne.

This interview was posted on JonathanGuilmette.com with permission from Jonathan Guilmette. Any quotes from this interview or use of its contents in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without express, written consent.