dkdiv18.gif

BELATED OLYMPIC TRIALS RESULTS         Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Here are the final, albeit belated, results of the Bell Olympic Trials.

**  Info obtained and reprinted, courtesy of ohnozone.net 

(My comments in orange in parentheses)

Men's 1000m
Heat A

Tremblay
MA Monette
JF Monette
Jean-François Monette was skating with a brace on his right forearm for the last days of the competition because of a broken hand.  At the start of his race, he toed in and fell forward. He tried to catch himself with his good arm and dislocated his left shoulder in the fall, sliding across the ice for a few feet.  He moved to the inside of the track in obvious pain. The race kept going at a slow pace as Tremblay and MA Monette qualified.  Monette grimaced appeared to try to come to the side of the ice as the ref talked to him.  Fans in the stands were shouting at the ref to stop the race as he allowed it to go on for four, slow, painful laps.  (I found myself using profanity and screaming at the guy.  "There's a man out there in pain!  Stop the *&#% race!!  What's the matter with you?!?" is I believe what I yelled.)  FINALLY, with 5 laps to go, the referee blew the whistle and stopped the race so that Monette could get off the ice and get medical attention.  The crowd burst into applause when the whistle was finally blown. 

Heat C
1. Turcotte
2. Beaulieu
3. Giroux
4. Shoebridge
**Turcotte was able to get away and open up a large gap with 2.5 to go. Giroux had been sitting 4th most of the race and began his charge. In 3rd behind Beaulieu, he had a major slip with 1.5 to go. But as he had done all competition he was able to re-accelerate and close the gap on Beaulieu. He set up the last corner wide to make his move at the finish but stumbled and fell, ending his chances of qualifying for the semi and making the Olympic team.  (Had Giroux won the final of the 1000m, this would have bumped Jonathan from the team.)

Heat D
1. Robillard
2. Guilmette
3. C. Rasmussen
4. D. Rasmussen DQ
**Guilmette and Robillard sat 3rd and 4th most of the race before attacking the lead with 3.5 to go.  Guilmette went around the outside while Robillard took the inside route.  There was a little contact between D. Rasmussen and Robillard with both skaters stumbling. Robillard was able to hold on to the lead and win the race, keeping his slim hopes alive.  (As well, had Robillard won the final of the 1000m, this would have bumped Jonathan from the team.)

Semi A
1. Turcotte
2. MA Monette
3. Tremblay
4. Beaulieu
**Tremblay's failure to qualify for the A final meant that Robillard could win the 1000m overall by winning the A final.

Semi B
1. Bedard
2. Jean
3. Robillard
4. Guilmette
**This semi was controlled from the front by Jean. As the laps wound down, he was trailed by Robillard, Bedard and Guilmette who were building speed and waiting for an opportunity to pass. Robillard looked like he was going to make a move by the outside but stayed in 2nd.  Bedard was able exit the 2nd to last corner tightly and move from 3rd to 1st.  Robillard's chance to make the team ended and all that remained to be sorted out was the 1000m ranking, with both Turcotte and Bedard needing a top 3 finish to pass Hamelin in the 1000m standings.


B Final
1. Tremblay 1:24.298
2. Beaulieu 1:25.107
3. Robillard 1:28.391
4. Guilmette 1:34.813
**With everything decided, the skaters in this race put on a show for the crowd. Guilmette took the lead off the start, accelerating as if he were in a 500m. Robillard was in 2nd, Tremblay 3rd and Beaulieu 4th. Mid-race, Guilmette exited the corner wide and dropped out of the pack. (MAN, it was exciting to watch him tear around the rink for 5 laps like that!!!)  Robillard had the lead until 2 to go when he did the same, allowing Tremblay to take the lead. Tremblay powered on and crossed the line in a new Canadian record and unofficial world record.

Men's 1000m Final Standings
1. Tremblay 1888
2. Bedard 1691
3. Turcotte 1540
4. Hamelin 1339
5. Guilmette 1230
6. Robillard 1209
7. Giroux 1191
8. MA Monette 1108
9. Jean 864
10. JF Monette 674
11. Beaulieu 535
12. C. Rasmussen 289
13. D. Rasmussen 265
14. Shoebridge 169
15. Therrien 156
16. Scholten 0

Men's Overall Final Standings
1. Tremblay 5548
2. Turcotte 5454
3. Bedard 4514
4. Hamelin 4389
5. Guilmette 3978
6. Robillard 2839
7. Giroux 2680
8. MA Monette 2360
9. Jean 2283
10. JF Monette 2219
11. D. Rasmussen 1827
12. Beaulieu 1342
13. Shoebridge 1108
14. C. Rasmussen 888
15. Therrien 517
16. Scholten 326

Team Canada
Women: Alanna Kraus, Amanda Overland, Anouk Leblanc-Boucher, Tania Vicent, Kalyna Roberge
Men: Francois-Louis Tremblay, Mathieu Turcotte, Eric Bedard, Charles Hamelin,
Jonathan Guilmette!!

**  Info obtained and reprinted, courtesy of ohnozone.net 

(My comments in orange in parentheses)

Photo by Lori J. Bayne
press.jpg
Jonathan talks to the media during a TV interview after he made the Olympic Team!

dkdiv18.gif

HE MADE IT!!!!!
DAY NINE OF THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
Sunday, September 11, 2005

Photo by Lori J. Bayne
team3.jpg
The Final Fabulous Five!

In a final night of thrills, spills and chills (boy, does any phrase better describe short track?), your very own Jonathan Guilmette made the Olympic Team for Turin in 2006!!!!!  YAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!  It is 3:17 a.m. as I put this article up and my bus to Montreal leaves in just over 3 hours ... so the details will have to wait.  Please visit ohnozone.net for many details for now, and I'll be posting the full news story on the 13th of September when I arrive home.  Let me tell you though ... Jo autographed enough prizes for 3 huge contests, gave an interview tonight, and I got quite a few nice pictures -- and even a bit of video.  It will take some time to get it all up, but I promise to have it all here by the end of the month.
 
Jo'll be in Thailand with the rest of the winning team for the next week as a reward for making the team, and promises to send in lots of pictures, journal entries and his thoughts on how the trial went once he's had a chance to unwind.  For now, enjoy these photos that I got (it's amazing what nice photos you can take when they stand still, let you get close and use a flash!)  ;o)  and the somewhat choppy video below of Jo being announced as a member of the Olympic Team at the press conference that immediately followed the races tonight.  There is also video of him talking with the press, and getting congratulated by Stephen Gough.  The first two were recorded "sideways", so you'll have to turn your head to the left as I can't figure out how to flip them right-side up.  Last, there will be photos of the card and flowers that I gave Jo from all of us here at the site.  I left them outside his hotel room door so that when he returned from all the hullabaloo at the rink tonight, he'd have his greeting and congratulations there waiting for him from all of you.  He was pleasantly surprised and said "Thank you".  So for now, enjoy what I've got here, and ...
 
CONGRATULATIONS JONATHAN!!!!!  :o)

Photo by Lori J. Bayne
team2.jpg
Ice Time: $250 an hour. Skinsuit: $300. Skates: $1700. Making the Olympic Team? PRICELESS!!!!!

Photo by Lori J. Bayne
autograph_left_side.jpg
Jo autographs posters after the Trials end. These were given out to spectators in a free drawing!

Jo's Winning Announcement !

Jo Gives an Interview with the Press

Stephen Gough Congratulates Jonathan

dkdiv18.gif

WE'RE ALMOST THERE, KIDS!
DAY EIGHT AT THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
September 10th, 2005
 
Good LORD it was another tense and amazing night!!!  But Jo came out on top ... like he always does!  But before we get to the news, I snagged a bit of choppy video of Jo tonight, unlacing his skates after his 500m final.  Click the grey link at the end of the article to see it.
 
In his first heat, it might as well have been the Olympics itself for the talent that stood at the line.  Here was the line-up and times for Jo's heat in round three of the 500m:
 
Heat B
1. Eric Bedard 41.613
2. Jonathan Guilmette 42.248
3. Steve Robillard DQ
 
All three got off the line in the order their lanes were assigned and stayed that way the entire race.  Steve tried, coming into the last corner, to make an inside pass, but there wasn't any room and he impeded Jonathan.  Jo had to go wide and stand up a bit taller to avoid a collision, and his hands went out in frustration, in a similar fashion to the other night (only less intensely) when he was pushed by Giroux, as if to say, "What are you doing?"  He lost speed and finished in 3rd, the better part of a second behind Bedard, but rather quickly the DQ was called on Robillard for impeding.  "I was skating against one of my best friends, and that feels horrible", said Jonathan about skating against Robillard who is also one of his roommates.  "But you have to do it if you want to go to the Olympics."
 
His semi-final was probably the cleanest race I've seen during the trials, and here are the results of that:
 
Semi B
1. Bedard 41.943
2. Hamelin 41.982
3. Tremblay 42.103
4. Guilmette 42.294

 
** Hamelin and Tremblay went back and forth between 2nd and 3rd mid-race. Bedard’s fast start in the 500m continued to serve him well as he led the whole race.
 
Jo started off in the fourth position, and was never able to get close enough to Hamelin or Tremblay to successfully attempt a pass, so he finished in 4th, as well.
 
B Final
1. Guilmette 41.823
2. Tremblay 41.899
3. JF Monette 42.014
4. C. Rasmussen 43.014
** Rasmussen won the start ahead of the 3 other skaters but was unable to hold them off as each passed on consecutive straights midway through the race.
 
It was really exciting to see Jo come across the line first, and against Tremblay, too, who has dominated the competition.
 
As far as Jo making the team, he's in a great position.  He talked at length about where he is and where he needs to be (and a few other skaters, too) in order to make the team.  "The only possibility that I get bumped tomorrow for the top 5 is if either Mathieu Giroux or Steve Robillard wins the 1000 tomorrow in the final.  Mathieu Turcotte needs some points to skate the 1000 at the Games, and I'm gonna try my best to win the final tomorrow 'cause I still have some possibility to skate the 1000 at the Games.  That would be nice.  Overall I'm 4th, but Bedard, by winning [the 500m overall] tonight ... he's secured a spot in the top five ... even if he's behind me in the overall ranking, he's sure to go.  The number one ranked guy after the 3 distances are protected for the top 5.  If he did not win tonight, I would have been sure to go to the Games.  If I get first tomorrow, I'm in the top 5, and that makes me skate the 1000 at the Games too.  I have to qualify in November [at World Cups 3 and 4] too, but ... that would be sweet to skate the 1000!  And if I win tomorrow, that would be perfect!"
 
We couldn't agree more!

Men’s 500m Final Standings
1.  Bedard 2149
2.  Tremblay 1997
3.  Turcotte 1765
4.  Hamelin 1359
5.  JF Monette 1109
6.  Guilmette 1029
7.  D. Rasmussen 1028
8.  Shoebridge 773
9.  MA Monette 708
10. Robillard 429
11. Jean 385
12. C. Rasmussen 370
13. Giroux 282
14. Beaulieu 245
15. Scholten 196
16. Therrien 156

Men’s Overall Standings after 8 events
1.  Tremblay 5326
2.  Turcotte 4819
3.  Hamelin 4291
4.  Guilmette 3857
5.  Bedard 3661
6.  Robillard 2642
7.  Giroux 2600
8.  JF Monette 2184
9.  Jean 1820
10. MA Monette 1774
11. D. Rasmussen 1750
12. Shoebridge 1066
13. Beaulieu 1023
14. C. Rasmussen 811
15. Therrien 517
16. Scholten 326

Men’s 1000m Heats for Last Round (Unofficial)
Heat A

Tremblay
Monette
Monette

Heat B
Hamelin
Bedard
Jean

Heat C
Giroux
Turcotte
Beaulieu
Shoebridge

Heat D
Guilmette
Robillard
Rasmussen
Rasmussen

Photo By Lori J. Bayne
500mfinalprep034.jpg
Jo puts on his neck protector before his 500m final

Unlacing After the 500m

dkdiv18.gif

CROSSTRACKING DQ
TALK ABOUT A FOUL CALL!
DAY SEVEN OF THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
Friday, September 9, 2005
 

Before I get started, I had a bit of trouble with the camera focusing tonight, so I didn't get great pictures.  But I got a few, and they'll be up in the morning as soon as I get them "repaired" as well as I can.

 

Now onto the news, and be prepared:  this is a long and scathing report.

 

That being so stated, in the last round of the 1500m race tonight, Jonathan was disqualified at the line for cross-tracking, and it was one of the worst mis-calls I've ever seen.  Here are the participants and their times:

 

1. Steve Robillard 2:13.658
2. Mathieu Giroux 2:13.827
3. Jean-Francois Monette 2:14.647
   Jonathan Guilmette DQ
Therrien DNF (fell on an attempted outside pass, mid-race)

 

And here’s how the race went down.  Robillard stayed near the back during the early laps while Monette led the race (despite a heavily taped wrist). Then Robillard made it up into 2nd behind Monette. Guilmette was 3rd and Giroux 4th and as the race came closer to ending, Jonathan did a great job defending his 3rd position while Giroux tried repeatedly to pass, but with no success. With a lap and a half remaining, Robillard went around Monette on the outside in a pass that was nothing short of gorgeous. Guilmette moved into 2nd and Giroux into 3rd, leaving Monette in last as Thierren had fallen on an attempted pass about half way through the race.  At the bell, it was a nail biter as everyone tried to defend their position or move up. Robillard won a great race with Jo 2nd, but Giroux tried so desperately to get his blade-tip across the line ahead of Jonathan that he fell, pushing Jonathan into his path, and Giroux sprawled across the line on his belly.  Jonathan, meanwhile, was pushed hard enough that he temporarily lost his balance and crossed the line on one blade with his other leg sticking out to the side so as to keep his balance.  Just after crossing the line, Guilmette put his hands out to his sides, looked down and shook his head as if to say, “What are you doing?”  He looked rather perturbed.  "He was all over the place, not consistent, and he pushed me", Jonathan said.

 

It was this push/fall into Jonathan that forced Jo into Giroux’s path, which is apparently why they said that Jonathan cross-tracked.  “They called me on cross-tracking, and I'm really mad”, Jonathan said after the video review.  “It wasn’t me, and I got the call.  It really sucks."  Because he did technically skate into Giroux's path before crossing the finish line due to the push, this appears to be the reasoning behind the call.

 

When the announcement of the DQ was made, Guilmette was visibly upset.  He kicked a chair and smacked his palm to his forehead in anger, muttering to himself.  He then crossed his arms and walked defiantly from the arena.

 

When he returned, during a resurfacing of the ice, he stood at the open door where the Zamboni enters the ice tried to talk to the referee (who was on the ice at the time) to get him to reconsider the decision.  He made arm and hand gestures to demonstrate how he was knocked off balance by Giroux.  They talked for over three minutes, after which time the ref shrugged his shoulders and simply skated away.

 

"Hopefully tomorrow it will be better", Guilmette said.  "I'm still in a good place, and I have a really good chance to make the team.  I’m 2nd overall in the 1500m and 4th in the competition.  They take your 2 best scores and 50% of your worst score for the three races, and that’s how they get the final standings for each distance."

 

In the Olympic Trials, a DQ does not mean that you are eliminated and can no longer gain points.  It just means that you have to skate in the last final and can’t earn as many points.  And because people like Robillard and Hamelin gained more points to come up a bit from behind, as well as Tremblay also getting a DQ tonight after doing incredibly well throughout the entire competition, this helped to keep Jo near the top of the standings!  So the news isn’t all bad.  As well, his final went like this:

 

C Final
1. Guilmette 2:25.892
2. Shoebridge 2:26.573
3. C. Rasmussen 2:26.774
Therrien DNS

 

It was no contest from the beginning.  Jonathan started the race off at a healthy pace and let himself draft for about the first half of the race.  With about 4 laps to go, he took off hard, leaving Shoebridge and Cory Rasmussen behind.  He put the better part of a full second between himself and the other skaters and coming into the final corner, eased up a bit and won the race with no problem.

 

Men's 1500m Final Standings (2 best scores and 50% lowest score)


1.  Turcotte 2149
2.  Guilmette 1719
3.  Hamelin 1691
4.  Tremblay 1663
5.  Robillard 1221
6.  Giroux 1207
7.  Jean 1034
8.  Bedard 674
9.  Beaulieu 562
10. MA Monette 544
11. D. Rasmussen 535
12. JF Monette 436
13. C. Rasmussen 229
14. Therrien 205
15. Shoebridge 166
16. Scholten 130

Men's Overall Standing after 7 events

1.  Tremblay 5145
2.  Turcotte 4497
3.  Hamelin 3656
4.  Guilmette 3457
5.  Bedard 2994
6.  Robillard 2589
7.  Giroux 2404
8.  JF Monette 2036
9.  Jean 1725
10. MA Monette 1679
11. D. Rasmussen 1204
12. Shoebridge 1031
13. Beaulieu 965
14. C. Rasmussen 593
15. Therrien 517
16. Scholten 326

 

Racing resumes tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and it will be round 3 of the 500m, the distance Jonathan won a silver medal for in the 2002 Olympics.  Here's hoping that the ref realizes tomorrow night that you're only supposed to push each other in the relay.

Photo by Lori J. Bayne
1500mfinalc-011.gif
Jonathan smacks his thigh as he prepares to take the ice after the DQ.

dkdiv18.gif

BEFORE RACING BEGINS TONIGHT ...
Friday, September 9, 2005
 
Just thought you all might want to see a few shots.  Nothing of Jo live yet, haven't had the chance to talk with him in person, but I got these shots of the large, probably 8 foot tall sign in the hotel lobby which greets guests and skaters who are here for the Olympic Trials.  Pretty dang cool!  Enjoy, and I'll be posting up shots of the warm-ups, the races and the race results tonight after skating is over (approximately 11 p.m. Eastern Time).  I have internet access in my room, so no more waiting 24 hours for news!  More to come in a few hours ...

lobbydisplay.jpg
The display in the lobby as you enter the hotel

RelayBoys.jpg
A close-up of the left-center panel

marcjoexcellence.jpg
Close-up of right-center panel

dkdiv18.gif

CALMER SEAS
DAY SIX AT THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
Thursday, September 8th, 2005
 
 
You notice that I said calmer, not calm.  It would seem that Canadian Olympic Trials are anything but calm!  No news was reported on Heat D that Jo skated in, but below are the order that they finished.
 
Heat D
1. Bedard
2. Guilmette
3. Beaulieu
4. C. Rasmussen
 
In semi-final B that Jonathan skated, here were the results and the  breakdown.

Semi-Final B
1. Turcotte 1 :26.725
2. Guilmette 1 :26.742
3. MA Monette 1 :26.785
4. Bedard 1 :26.799

**This was another close race with an exciting finish.  Turcotte led most of the race, with Bedard 2nd, Guilmette 3rd and Monette 4th.  Bedard was looking strong on the last lap, having benefited from the work Turcotte was doing at the head of the pack.  He tried an outside pass on the last straight but bumped with Turcotte and went wide, which opened the door for Guilmette and Monette.  The scramble to the finish was wild with only 7 1/100ths separating the four skaters.  Bedard was quite upset at the turn of events and there was some discussion by the referees but no call (and no video review).

Making it to the A Final again, (excellent!), Jo got third, four to five seconds behind Tremblayh and Giroux because he was bumped by Turcotte.

A Final
1. Tremblay 1 :25.694
2. Giroux 1 :26.618
3. Guilmette 1 :30.252
4. Mathieu DQ

** This race turned out to be a little anti-climactic after the excitement of the semi-finals.  Tremblay grabbed the lead off the start.  Giroux was not content to sit in 4th and took the lead by the outside with 7.5 to go, followed by Tremblay, Guilmette and Turcotte.  With 4.5 to go, Turcotte attempted to move up the inside into 3rd but bumped with Guilmette.  Turcotte stumbled inside the first blocks of the corner and Guilmette was sent wide, leaving Giroux and Tremblay alone to race for the win.  Tremblay made his move with 2-2.5 to go and powered to the line.  Any hopes Giroux had of catching him were nixed when he hit a block on the 2nd to last corner.

Men’s overall after 6 events
1. Tremblay 4964
2. Turcotte 4164
3. Guilmette 3404
4. Bedard 2833
5. Hamelin 2803
6. Giroux 1981
7. JF Monette 1956
8. Robillard 1816
9. MA Monette 1437
10. Jean 1429
11. D. Rasmussen 1117
12. Shoebridge 968
13. Beaulieu 804
14. C. Rasmussen 551
15. Therrien 488
16. Scholten 326

Men’s 1000m standings after 2 events
1. Tremblay 1666
2. Hamelin 1241
3. Giroux 1111
4. Guilmette 1109
5. Robillard 1012
6. Turcotte 905
7. Bedard 838
8. JF Monette 639
9. MA Monette 522
10. Jean 401
11. Beaulieu 216
12. C. Rasmussen 212
13. D. Rasmussen 187
14. Therrien 156
15. Shoebridge 127
16. Scholten 0

This dompetition only seems to get more exciting!  Starting tomorrow, with any luck with my camera, we will have pictures directly from the races to accompany these news stories.

Thursday, September 8th is an off-day, and competition resumes Friday, September 9th.  Skaters will begin the 3rd and final round of skating, and the 1500m will be skated that day.

**  Info obtained and reprinted, courtesy of ohnozone.net

dkdiv18.gif

SLIP-UP
DAY FIVE OF THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
 
Day five at the Trials was a difficult day for nearly everyone who competed, it would seem.   Jonathan had a spill in his heat that, as near as we can tell from the minimal reporting on the race, was simply a matter of hitting a bad bit of ice or a slip.  I'll see if I can find out the details of what happened.  He was in 3rd coming up on the bell when he fell.  He progressed to the D Final where he got the win and gained an additional 86 points.
 
Despite this somber news, due to disqualifications, re-racing, bumping falling, even a yellow card and just a hard set of circumstances for skaters all around, Jonathan is still 3rd overall, which is excellent news!!  He is 7th in the 500m after 2 rounds with 1 more round of skating in the 500m scheduled for Saturday, September 10th.  Here are the results for the races that Jonathan was in and the overall rankings after round two and five days of racing:
 
Heat Four
1. Marc-André Monette 42.722
2. Shoebridge
3. Therrien
4. Guilmette - fall
 
D Final
1. Guilmette
2. Therrien

Men's 500m standing after 2 rounds
1.  Tremblay 1816
2.  Bedard 1482
3.  Turcotte 1443
4.  JF Monette 961
5.  Shoebridge 738
6.  Hamelin 724
7.  Guilmette 629
8.  MA Monette 613
9.  D. Rasmussen 482
10. Robillard 356
11. Jean 290
12. Scholten 196
13. Beaulieu 187
14. Therrien 156
15. C. Rasmussen 152
16. Giroux 86

Men's Overall
1.  Tremblay 3964
2.  Turcotte 3621
3.  Guilmette 2738
4.  Hamelin 2562
5.  Bedard 2538
6.  Robillard 1620
7.  JF Monette 1513
8.  Jean 1269
9.  Giroux 1165
10. MA Monette 1075
11. D. Rasmussen 1060
12. Shoebridge 898
13. Beaulieu 674
14. C. Rasmussen 445
15. Therrien 402
16. Scholten 326

Racing resumes tomorrow with round two of the 1000m.  Better luck tonight, Jonathan!  :o)

dkdiv18.gif

ROUND TWO OF THE 1500m
DAY FOUR OF THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
 
The results from last night are in, and things look good yet again!  The 2nd round of 3 for the 1500m was raced last night, and Jonathan got 3rd place.  He missed 2nd place at the last second by a mere 9/100ths of a second!!!  Here's how the races were set up and went:
 
semi A
1. Jonathan Guilmette
2. Daryl Rasmussen
3. Nathaniel Therrien
4. Olivier Jean ADV
5. Steve Robillard DQ (had placed 1st)
** A pretty harsh call, considering what was permitted in the A final later in the evening.

semi B
1. Mathieu Giroux
2. Mathieu Turcotte
3. Marc-Andre Monette
4. Cory Rasmussen
5. Eric Bedard DQ

semi C
1. Charles Hamelin
2. Francois-Louis Tremblay
3. Remi Beaulieu
4. Jean-Francois Monette
5. Richard Shoebridge

A Final
1. Turcotte 2:13.795
2. Tremblay 2:13.975
3. Guilmette 2:13.986
4. Giroux 2:14.048
5. Jean 2:14.455
6. D. Rasmussen 2:15.310
7. Hamelin 2:30.847

** This was a very hectic race with 7 skaters.  There was a lot of jostling for position.  Guilmette once again showed his willingness to control the race from the front. I n the last 5 laps Hamelin attacked by the outside to move into 2nd place ahead of Turcotte, Tremblay and Giroux.  On the bell, he set up his corner wide and was really going for it on the outside but stumbled and fell exiting the 2nd to last turn.  Turcotte went blazing up the inside to take the lead down the last straight.  Tremblay was able to outstretch Guilmette at the line for 3rd.

1500m RANKING AFTER ROUND TWO

1.  Turcotte 1816
2.  Guilmette 1666
3.  Tremblay 1482
4.  Hamelin 838
5.  Giroux 784
6.  Jean 738
7.  Bedard 513
8.  Robillard 448
9.  D. Rasmussen 448
10. Beaulieu 401
11. JF Monette 356
12. MA Monette 302
13. C. Rasmussen 187
14. Therrien 176
15. Scholten 130
16. Shoebridge 103

OVERALL (MEN)
1.  Turcotte 3178 pts
2.  Tremblay 2964
3.  Guilmette 2652
4.  Hamelin 2200
5.  Bedard 1722
6.  Robillard 1424
7.  Giroux 1165
8.  Jean 1109
9.  JF Monette 847
10. D. Rasmussen 819
11. Shoebridge 603
12. Beaulieu 544
13. M.A. Monette 532
14. Cory Rasmussen 339
15. Therrien 332
16. Scholten 326

To recap:  Jonathan is in 3rd overall and in 2nd for the 1500m.  WOO-HOO!  This looks good!

**  Info obtained and reprinted, courtesy of ohnozone.net

dkdiv18.gif

FINAL FINISH # 3
DAY THREE OF THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
Sunday, September 3, 2005
 
Last night was the first round of the 1000m, and Jonathan made it to the finals again!  His 5th place finish gained him an additional 443 points, and if my calculations are correct, here is how the top 6 men stand in points:
 
Mathieu Turcotte - 2,178
François-Louis Tremblay - 1,998
Jonathan Guilmette - 1,986
Charles Hamelin - 1,264
Eric Bedard - 1,429
Steve Robillard - 1,264
 
If these numbers or my calculations are incorrect, please let me know, and I'll be happy to retract/reprint the correct results.  I'm learning the scoring system as we go!  What I can tell you is that each time a skater skates a distance, they get points based on where they finished.  When they have raced the distance thrice, the total points are added up and the athlete with the highest score per distance automatically goes to the Olympics.  This constitutes 3 members of the team.  After that, 2 more are chosen based on their total points earned ... again, if I have my information correct.
 
Charles Hamelin won the 1000m last night, and Tania Vicent won it for the women, the first time for both to win a race since the Trials began.
 
Today is an off-day, so there will be no news story with results tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed for Jonathan as skating resumes Monday night!

dkdiv18.gif

ANOTHER FINAL FINISH
DAY TWO OF THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
September 3, 2005
 
It was another good day of skating for Jo yesterday in the 500m.  Mathieu Turcotte took the lead in the last turn and won the race in 42.212 seconds.  Flou Tremblay was second in 42.288 and Eric Bedard was third in 42.290.  Jonathan finished fourth in 42.442 and Richard Shoebridge came in fifth in the final in 42.584.
 
Making the final is important, as all distances are raced three times through, heats though finals.  An article about how the scoring for the Olympic Trials are conducted and how who makes the team is determined will be up as soon as I get all the information I need to write it.  I've asked Speed Skating Canada for some information, so hopefully I will have the article up before the end of the Trials on the 11th.
 
TRIALS TICKET PURCHASE:
As a follow-up to a previous news story, tickets to the Trials are only available at the door and cannot be purchased in advance.  The price is $2 per day.  Thanks to Raymonde Guilmette, Jonathan's mom, for getting that information from FPVQ!
 
Correction/Retraction:  In the news story of August 23rd entitled "BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS PARTICIPANTS, RACE SCHEDULE AND EVENT TICKET PRICES ANNOUNCED", it was stated that the top 6 athletes for both men and women would make up the short track teams.  According to the press release issued by Speed Skating Canada today, it will be the top 5 skaters.

dkdiv18.gif

GUILMETTE TAKES 1ST IN OPENING 1500m
DAY ONE OF THE BELL OLYMPIC TRIALS
Friday, September 2, 2005
 
The first news is in, and that news is GREAT!  Last night, Jonathan wrote to say, "Just a quick word to give you some news ... I won the 1500m today... Good way to start trials... :-)"
 
He told Speed Skating Canada, "I couldn’t ask for a better start to the competition.  It’s going to be a very close battle between the guys. There are probably 10 men in contention for a spot on the team. The key is to stay consistent and make as many finals as possible. You can’t be up and down."
 
20 year-old Anouk Leblanc-Boucher won for the women.  The opening 500m will be skated tonight, and as more results come in, they will be posted on this news page.  Continued great luck to you, Jo!!!

dkdiv18.gif

Workshop