Troy Henry first at Western Canada Cup

Local speedskater Troy Henry cleaned up at the third Western Canada Cup of the season, held in Medicine Hat, Alta., finishing first in the 1,500-metres, third in the 500, fifth in the 1,000, and third overall at the meet.

Local speedskater Troy Henry cleaned up at the third Western Canada Cup of the season, held in Medicine Hat, Alta., finishing first in the 1,500-metres, third in the 500, fifth in the 1,000, and third overall at the meet.

In the 1,000-m Henry started well and advanced with a first place in his heat. The semi didn’t go as well with a bit of a scramble and a fall putting him into the B final.

That being said he went out and skated the final well, and finished first in the B for a fifth place overall.

The 500-m was next with an easy first place advancement out of the heat and a second in the semi which put him in the A final. The final was a good race but he got bottled up and wasn’t able to get by in the last corner. The result was a 44.80 personal best none the less. Breaking into the 44’s was a goal.

Henry commented that he was somewhat disappointed given the finish, when he knew that he could have had a much faster time if things had went differently.

The 1,500-m, Henry’s strongest distance. Henry advanced from his heat with a tactical and somewhat leisurely 2:35.24 time and first place. The next race saw all the best skaters in the 1,500 A Final. The 1,500-m, which is usually skated tactically, went out hard and Henry was able to secure the lead and the first place finish with a PB time of 2:19.70.

Henry was in Whitehorse over the Christmas break and came out several times with the Whitehorse Rapids Speed Skating Club to help coach and pass on some pointers to the young skaters going off to the Arctic Winter Games next month. Henry knows very well the excitement and trepidation that the Games can bring.

In his second year of training at the Calgary Oval, this year has been intense, with the National Short Track athletes as well as Long Track and the Women’s Olympic Hockey team all based out of the Calgary Oval. Also the sliding sports do their dryland training there you can feel the Olympics in the air and the pressure is huge. 

Henry’s next major competition is RUFast in March at the Calgary Oval.

Submitted by Laini Klassen.