Lethbridge's Gavin Ogilvie competing at the Canadian Youth Long Track Championships, February 4-5, 2023. (Photo: Michael Mong)

By Justin Goulet

Local speed skater captures gold at national championships

Feb 8, 2023 | 7:28 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Three speed skaters represented Lethbridge at the recent Canadian Youth Long Track Championships. The event took place on February 4 and 5, 2023 in Fort St. John, British Columbia.

Claire Peake, Zosia Adelman, and Gavin Ogilvie of the Lethbridge Speed Skating Association represented the city and province at the national competition.

Skaters from six divisions, ranging in age from 11 to 13, hit the track in six different events over the course of the weekend.

The first was a 500-metre Olympic style race. It involved two skaters at a time trying to register the fastest time possible at the distance. Athletes also competed in four mass start races. Those involve skaters racing against each other at the same time as they try to cross the finish line first.

Athletes participated in 300-metre, 1,000-metre, 1-500-metre and seven lap (approximately three kilometres) mass start races. Additionally, they took part in a team pursuit event. That is when teams of four or five skaters work together to try to get the fastest time possible in a 1,600-metre race.

What's Happening in Lethbridge this week: December 30 - January 5, 2025

Dec 30, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this week: December 16-22, 2024

Dec 17, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this week: December 9-15, 2024

Dec 10, 2024

In the Youth Female 11 Division, Claire Peake set a personal best in the 500-metre race. Zosia Adelman competed in the Youth Female 12 Division and set a personal best in the 500-metre, registering a time of 49.13 seconds. Adelman hit the podium in the Team Pursuit event. She and her team placed first. It was Adelman’s first national level event. She finished 11^th overall.

In the Youth Male 13 Division, Gavin Ogilvie earned six podium finishes and was the competition’s top performer. In the 500-metre race, he set a national season best time of 42.45 seconds, which helped him capture a gold medal. He also earned gold in three of the mass start events. Including the 300-metre, 1,500-metre, and seven lap races. Ogilvie finished second in the 1,000-metre event and third in the team pursuit.

The local athletes now turn their attention to short track speed skating for the rest of the season. The next competition for the skaters in the RU Fast event in Calgary on February 25 and 26.

Read more local sports at Lethbridge News Now.