It’s not just Place Bell that will be a novelty when the best in short track speed skating take to the ice starting Saturday.

If it is true that Laval will host for the first time a senior competition of international proportions, the Four Continents Championship, it will also be a first day for two female and two male skaters.

The composition of the team for this competition is determined by the results of the Canadian Championship. The goal is not only to win medals, but also to give some skaters who don’t qualify for World Cups experience on the international stage.

Karina Montminy, Cynthia Mascitto, William Sohier and Jérôme Courtemanche will make their debut in the Canadian senior national team. This last clarification is very important in Mascitto’s case as she has skated for Italy in recent years and has quite a bit of experience with the Italian team at this level.

I’m super excited. I’m happy to be here and represent my countryMascitto said on Wednesday on the sidelines of training.

I’m really looking forward to skating with the best in the world, coming back after a year and a half and giving it everything I’ve got.

She recently resumed training at the invitation of a coach who didn’t necessarily intend to continue in short track upon her return to Canada.

I’m taking it one day at a time. The most important thing is that I put myself into every training session, work hard and do everything I can to give my best. Depending on how I feel, that will determine the future.

If we ignore the 2023 Winter University Games in Lake Placid, the other three will begin their international careers.

I’m here to get experience, to skate against people I’ve never skated against, so I’m really in experience modeconfided William Sohier.

I have no expectations and I run better when I have no expectations. I try to get into that relaxed mode and enjoy the experience a bithe continued.

I assume that the level on the ice will be higher. I’m maybe a little more excited to compete with other skaters since the level will be a little higher. It’s not extra stress, but I’m more excitedreplied Jerome Courtemanche.

This is the first time I’m comparing myself with the best in the world. They will tell me that in Canada we have some of the best in the world, but having so many people at such a high level will be the first time, so I’m definitely aiming for the A final. I want to try to do it as well as possible, but to do as many races as possible and learn as much as possible, that will be the main goalhe continued.

For Karina Montminy we have to combine the element of surprise with the element of news, as she only found out last week that she would be taking part in the competition.

I will be there mainly to gain experience, I haven’t done many races at international level, it will be one Challenge really interesting.

It’s clear that anything is possible, it’s a short distance, so I’ll take every race as if I could win it. I will try to reach the final as high as possible, but when I get there, whatever happens will happen.

I don’t really know my opponents either, so I’ll see how it goes.

Welcome to the relay

If the Canadian short track team is one of the best in the world, and has been for years, the same goes for its two relay teams.

For me, the relay is the most stressful distance because I don’t want to be the reason why something doesn’t work. But it’s still the most raced race Funit is something where we work together and support each otherCynthia Mascitto summarized well.

Since we are a team, there is of course a little more stress in the relay because your own performance has an influence on the others. This will be a little stressfulconfirmed William Sohier.

Another story, however, from Jérôme Courtemanche.

The fact that my team is a team that has already won medals gives me more confidence. In the relay I know that I have a team that can support me and pull me up.

The team’s main headliners will of course be present at this Four Continents Championship, which will bring together the world’s elite of the discipline on November 4th and 5th at Place Bell in Laval.