Two Speed Skaters Make Canada Winter Games Team

(Moose Jaw) The second round of the Canada Winter Games trials ended with triumph and heartbreak for the Humboldt Speed Skating club when two of three skaters made the team. Addison Thiel and William Dutton finished second and third respectively. The club's most decorated medalist, Nathan Bernhard, fell victim to an equipment problem that cost him his chance to skate at the Canada games.

"We should be celebrating but we are all feeling Nathan's pain." said Humboldt co-coach Craig Dutton. "He has been training for this meet for more than a year." he added

Conditions in Moose Jaw were difficult for all skaters. A windstorm last week had covered the ice with sand and debris. Subsequent ice floods had covered most, but not all of the debris, and a stripped skate edge was a threat in every race. Losing an edge could mean disaster for a skater and their chances.

Saturday's competition opened with the 500 meters a sprint that is always a strong race for all three Humboldt Skaters. Dutton had a blistering 41.79 and Thiel a solid 42.03 but Bernhard stripped an edge on his skate. Going into the first turn Bernhard hit a piece of debris and almost went down. Regaining his balance Bernhard found he had stripped the inner edge of his skate. He struggled in with a time of 44.00 placing him 5th in the 500. " As coaches we should have asked for a reskate before he left the ice but we did not want to risk him going down again and not even finishing the race. It would have been all over right then." said Humboldt co-coach Craig Dutton.

The second race of the day was the 3000 meters or three kilometers. When the race was over Thiel was second, Dutton third and Bernhard was one point out of the fourth and final team spot.

Bernhard opened the day Sunday with a solid 1500 regaining fourth position by 4 seconds heading into the grueling 5 kilometer final in the afternoon. Bernhard drew a tough pairing that saw him skate before the skaters ahead of him and the one skater behind him with a chance to catch the Humboldt veteran.

Skating in the first pairing Bernhard turned in a gutsy race in the minus 25-degree weather. "Nathan did everything his coaches asked of him...he left every last bit of his heart on the ice. In the end it was out of his hands" said Dutton.

Six skaters followed Bernhard. Three were ahead in the qualifying standings and one, Orin Conly of Saskatoon, was 1.5 points seconds behind. If Conly bettered Bernhard's time by 5 seconds the dream of having three Humboldt skaters at the Canada Winter Games was over. "Conly skated the race of his life" said Dutton. Conly finished fourth bumping Bernhard by less than one point out of a total more than 300.

"Nathan deserved better...but that's life. We are all very disappointed but Nathan was an absolute gentleman and a first class representative of Humboldt even though his heart was broken." Dutton said. Bernhard congratulated Conly and the others on their efforts. "We are very, very, proud of Nathan." Dutton added.

Thiel and Dutton will compete as members of Team Saskatchewan at the 2007 games in Whitehorse from February 24 through March 3.