Even if his timing didn't put him on the podium at the World Cup, Laurent Dubreuil believes he will have the opportunity to subtract a second from his 1000m race for the Olympics in the hope of competing with the best.
Thanks to his victory in the 1000 meters in the qualifying competition, which continued on Sunday at the Ice Center, Dubreuil earned his second berth to Milan-Cortina. He also won his favorite event, the 500m, on Saturday.
“It was a decent race,” said Dubreuil, who won silver in the 1,000 meters at the 2022 Beijing Games. “Now is not the time [1 min 8,93 s] which would allow me to win a medal on the international stage, but between now and the Games nothing is impossible. It's a big order, but it's not impossible. This was my first 1000m race since the World Championships in Calgary in November. In January I will hold another tournament in Inzell and will come to Italy more prepared.”
“In the end, that was enough to get me my pick,” Dubreuil added. If I had done 1:9.90, I would have thought about not running the 1000m in Italy.”
Although his victory was never in doubt, Dubreuil struggled in the final 400 metres. “This is definitely one of the toughest 1000 meters of my career,” he said. I completely broke down on the last lap. It's hard to explain how bad the pain is, and in those cases I wonder why I started skating.”
Silver medalist in the 1000m at the 2022 Beijing Games, Dubreuil took nothing for granted. “Since the stress of the Olympic trials is very difficult, it is quite normal to have doubts and concerns,” he emphasized. Yes, I was the favorite, but I had something to lose. You must avoid negative thinking.”
Dubreuil and Albertan Anders Johnson, with whom he was paired, finished first and second, as they had in the 500 meters 24 hours earlier.
Cédric Brunet qualified for the Games
The happiest skater did not start at the end of the 1000 m. Third in the 500m on Saturday after suffering a groin injury, Cedric Brunet watched from the stands with his parents.
Dubreuil's victory cleared the way for him to be one of seven skaters selected to compete at the Games. Johnson's second place finish was also good news for Brunet.
“I was so nervous that I didn’t look at the guys on the ice, but watched what was happening on the screen above me,” he said. I will continue the family tradition and I am proud of myself. I’m ashamed to say that I’m an Olympian.”
Immediately after completing the 1000m race, Brunet received two shocking calls. “When I saw my brother's face [Frédéric]I started to cry. My brother knows all the sacrifices I made when I left hockey for speed skating in hopes of achieving my dream of competing in the Olympics. On Saturday, he watched my race with his teammates in the team locker room in Providence. Brunet wears the colors of the Boston Bruins of the American League.
After Providence, Brunet received a call from British Columbia from his uncle Dominique Gauthier and his wife Jennifer Hale, who would be Canada's head of mission in Italy. “They congratulated me, they know that my path in recent years has not been easy due to injuries.
