Tuesday, February 26, 2002

Let the Turin Games begin

By CAMERON MAXWELL -- Calgary Sun
 The 19th Winter Games are over but many Canadian athletes want to do it all over again.

 Fresh off a record-setting performance at Salt Lake, where Canada came home with 17 medals, the most ever at a Winter Olympics, the tired but proud athletes who arrived in Calgary yesterday are now looking forward to Turin, Italy, and even better results at the 2006 Games.

 Red Deer's Jeremy Wotherspoon, a medal favourite in the 500m and 1,000m long track speed skating events, didn't get the results he was looking for, falling four steps into the 500 and finishing 13th in the 1,000.

 But Wotherspoon is contemplating a run at gold in 2006.

 "Yeah, I've been thinking about it -- I'm not right now sitting down and thinking I've got to get ready for 2006," said Wotherspoon, 25.

 "I'm going to keep skating and as long as I'm enjoying it, I don't see why I would want to stop."

 Skeleton made its Olympic return for the first time since 1948 and Calgary's Lindsay Alcock was thrilled to compete and now looks forward to Turin.

 "It was everything I thought it would be and more, absolutely," said Alcock, who placed sixth.

 Alcock's teammate, Michelle Kelly, is also fired up for Italy after what she called a "disappointing event" for her, finishing 10th.

 "I was iffy before (about 2006) but I was pretty upset after the event and now it's inspired me to go on because I don't think it was a fair race and I don't want people to leave off with me being 10th in the Games," said Kelly, a Fort St. John, B.C., native who lives in Calgary.

 Kelly is referring to race conditions for the skeleton that saw some competitors go down the Park City track before a heavy snowfall set in which slowed those racing as the flakes fell.

 Everything was equal on the short track ice, where Canadians brought home six medals.

 The young speed skating team, anchored by veteran Marc Gagnon and his three medals, was exceptional.

 Just a week before he left for Salt Lake, Gagnon said he probably wouldn't compete in 2006.

 Now the 26-year-old says it's a possibility, especially after his success of Salt Lake, where he earned two gold medals and a bronze.

 "If the body follows, absolutely," said Gagnon, who competed in his third Olympics.

 "I just love going to the Games.

 "These were just wonderful, so why not?"

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2002 Games News Coverage