Seven Yukon speedskaters did their best to dodge the flu, posting some quality results in Calgary late last month.

The group from the Whitehorse Rapids Speed Skating Club travelled down to the R U Fast races at the Calgary Oval Feb. 21 and 22.

Although some of the team came down with a flu that limited their ability to compete, others had some very good results.

Eleven-year-old Emma Hamilton of Whitehorse finished the meet in fourth place in her division of the Learn to Train competition.

She skated to a personal best time in each of the four distances — 200-metre, 400-m, 500-m and 1,000-m — that she raced in Calgary.

Of particular note was Hamilton taking a full 11 seconds off of her previous best over the 1,000-m distance.

Caius Taggart-Cox of Marsh Lake, also 11 years old, matched his teammate Hamilton in having personal best times in all four distances he raced. The youngster ended up placing 10th out of 15 skaters in the very competitive Division 1 of the Learn to Train competition.

His younger brother Lucas Taggart-Cox was slowed down by illness but still managed a personal best time in the 500-m distance and placed 12th in the division.

In the Train to Train competition, 12-year-old Tristan Muir of Whitehorse had a very good meet overall as he skated to personal bests in the 200-m, 400-m and 1,500-m distances while just missing his personal best in the 3,000-m.

Muir placed fourth, fourth, second and sixth in the respective distances.

His fourth-place finish in the 400-m would have been a third if not for a spectacular crash where he was taken down by another skater trying an inside pass on the last corner.

Also racing in the Train to Train competition, 13-year-old Micah Taggart-Cox of Marsh Lake came down with the flu that slowed him considerably.

There were no personal bests posted by Micah Taggart-Cox and he had to scratch from the 3,000-m points race, his favourite distance.

Nonetheless, he managed a fourth place finish in the 400-m race in his division.

For the Yukon’s two Masters level skaters, the competition was more or less wiped out by the flu.

Andy Muir of Whitehorse scratched from the entire meet and Jody Cox of Marsh Lake did not compete in the second day of races due to illness.

But both vow to be back next year.

– Report courtesy of Mark Ritchie