If only every Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu race could be held in Calgary.
Until Sunday, it had been 19 months since his last mass start, but the speed skater from Sherbrooke, Que., didn't look out of place at the Canadian Long Track Championships.
He admitted he was stressed at the start in Calgary but remained patient throughout the 16 laps of the men's event before taking the lead in the final sprint.
The 33-year-old crossed the finish line first in seven minutes, 55.88 seconds, ahead of Ottawa's Jake Weidemann (7:55.96) and Montreal's David LaRue (7:56.43).
“It's been two years since I competed in a mass start. The last time was here in Calgary when I won silver at the world championships,” Gelinas-Beaulieu told Speed Skating Canada. “There were a lot of really competitive skaters today, but my race went well.
“There are no easy races in mass start races, but this one had no big surprises, which helped me get a good position throughout the race and win it in the final sprint.”
There were no surprises on the women's team, with Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Que., leading the field of 14 players.
The 35-year-old passed Rose-Anne Grenier of Sainte-Marie, Que., and Darby Beason of Airdrie, Alta., on the final lap to take the title in 9:08.72. Grenier took silver (9:10.46) and Beeson (9:10.61) beat Calgary's Isabelle Champagne for bronze.
“I was nervous but at the same time confident going into today’s race,” Maltes said. “There are always a lot of things that can happen in a mass start, but I felt good and knew I had the speed.
“I really wanted to win today’s race so I could represent Canada again at the World Championships.”
Ottawa's Ivanie Blondin has pre-qualified for the world championships in the discipline thanks to her performance on the international stage last season, culminating with silver at the world championships in Hamar, Norway.
Team Canada's roster for the upcoming World Cup campaign will be announced in the coming weeks based on results from those championships and last year's international performances.
