CALGARY – A silver in men’s team pursuit highlighted the first weekend of back-to-back ISU Speed Skating Long Track World Cups in Calgary for Canmore’s Connor Howe.
In front of a home crowd at the Calgary Olympic Oval, Howe and teammates Hayden Mayeur and Antoine Gélinas–Beaulieu claimed second on Friday (Dec. 9), besting the 2022 Olympic pursuit champions from Norway in the process.
“I think this race we skated the best as a team that I can remember,” said Howe, 22.
USA claimed gold at 3:35.925, while the Canucks finished at 3:36.485. Canada’s time was nearly two seconds faster than one year ago in Calgary when the team of Howe, Jordan Belchos and Ted-Jan Bloemen won world cup bronze.
“Us three probably will be the choice to go with if we’re all skating well," said Howe. "We had a good race – better than we have in a long time."
A PERFECT team effort that leads to a silver🥈medal for the Canadian men’s team pursuit.
— Speed Skating Canada | Patinage de Vitesse Canada (@SSC_PVC) December 9, 2022
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Un effort d'équipe PARFAIT qui mène à une médaille d'argent🥈 pour l'équipe de la poursuite canadienne masculine.
📽️ @CBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/SlBHGSWz6t
So far this season, Howe has won medals at each of the three world cups. He also won silver and a first ever gold in the 1,500m at November events.
Howe is Canada’s top 1,500m long track skater and the national mass start champion.
However, after finishing sixth in the 1,500m this weekend at 1:43.682, Howe said it was below expectations.
“I started hard, but didn’t have the relaxed speed that I had at the last world cup,” said Howe. “I fell apart a bit at the end. I don’t want to say an excuse or anything, but I did have COVID the day after I returned [from Europe in late November] so I was off-ice for a week, which is a bit of a struggle.
“I thought I would be 100 per cent, but maybe I’m not just yet.”
In the back of Howe’s mind, he wants to someday own Canada’s 1,500m time record, but he isn’t setting a timeline on chasing after the current time of 1:42.01 set by Denny Morrison. Howe’s personal best is 1:42.42.
This season, the former Banff-Canmore Speed Skater is increasing his race load and adding new distances to his portfolio. Despite taking on more challenges, the eight-time world cup medallist isn’t immune to a rookie mistake here and there.
With two laps to go in Sunday’s (Dec. 11) 16-lap mass start (6,400m), Howe led the chasing pack in the second heat of the semifinals when he boldly made his move. In October, Howe surprised many and became the national champion in the event, but the race is still a work in progress on the international stage for the 22-year-old skater.
Howe pushed ahead into fourth place with 800m left, but he immediately wondered why the rest of the pack was going so slow.
“I got a bit panicked and confused and thought it was one [lap] to go and it was two to go,” said Howe with a smile. “I took off and the guys flew by me in the last lap, so that was kind of a rookie mistake. It happens.”
Howe has next week to make-up for it when the speed skating world cup returns to the Calgary Olympic Oval from Dec. 16-18.
In other Calgary world cup results, Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil won gold in the men’s 500m, and silver in the 1,000m, while Gélinas-Beaulieu took bronze.
Canadians Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin, and Valérie Maltais won gold in women’s pursuit.
“I think we were really smooth [on Saturday],” said Weidemann in a press release. “We were smooth right off the start, and we were all together as well, which we struggled with a bit [at the World Cup] in Norway. We haven’t skated together in a long time, so we’re still trying to figure things out a bit, but it’s getting more and more smooth and powerful.”
