BEIJING, China — The camera pans to Florence Brunelle, seated on the tape. She waves her hand, as if to greet the nonexistent crowd. Jordan Pierre-Gilles can’t help but smile broadly when he sees himself on the giant screen.

Joy reigns at training for the Canadian short track speed skating team on Tuesday at the Palais Omnisports de la Capitale. After all, seven of Canada’s 10 skaters are on their first Olympic Games adventure in Beijing.

“Right now, I’m living in the moment, but I realize it’s out of the ordinary. I realize that all the countries in the world are in the same place, at the same time, to each participate in their event. That’s what strikes me,” said Brunelle, who is 18 and the youngest Canadian representative in short track history.

Despite the sanitary measures and the tight bubble between the athletes’ village and the competition sites, Canadian skaters feel the enthusiasm associated with an event of the scale of the Olympics.

“I was especially afraid for the cafeteria. We had done tests at home, at the hotel and during a camp in Halifax where we received our food in our rooms, explained Pascal Dion. It is not like that. We can go to the cafeteria. We can mix with athletes from other countries or other Canadian athletes. It’s better than I thought. »

Dion, Charles Hamelin and Kim Boutin are the three veterans of the Canadian short track team. Hamelin is in his fifth and last participation, while Dion and Boutin are back for a second time at the Olympic Games, after their participation in those of Pyeongchang in 2018.

For Boutin, the experience in Pyeongchang had been particularly trying. Despite her harvest of a silver medal and two bronze, she was above all marked by the threats on social networks of which she had been the target, following her promotion to the podium at the expense of a southern rival. -Korean.

Boutin had to overcome his trauma and rediscover the joy of skating over the past four years. She said she was calm a few days before the opening ceremony.

“I am proud to be here. I want to give it my all and I’m going for gold, as always. But I let things go, ”noted the 27-year-old Sherbrooke resident.

“I take a lot of pictures,” added Boutin. I am the only girl on the team who has already experienced the Games. It’s nice to feel this energy of the first days, to receive your laundry. He is handsome! We walk around the village and we are the most beautiful! I take all the energy I can around me to be in the moment. »

An opportunity to set the tone

The short track speed skating events will begin on Saturday, February 5. Canada has amassed 33 short track medals in its history since the discipline was added to the Olympic program in 1992 in Albertville.

Pyeongchang, Canada had won five medals in short track. In addition to Boutin’s three in each individual distance, Samuel Girard won gold in the 1,000 meters and the men’s relay team took bronze in the 5,000 meters.

The short track team should still contribute to the Canadian harvest. In addition, she has an additional opportunity to win a medal, following the addition to the program of the mixed relay over 2000 meters.

In this new event, the team is made up of two men and two women, with a predetermined relay order.

“At the tactical level, it’s very short and it goes fast. There are not too many questions to ask about it, underlined head coach Sébastien Cros. Adaptation is mainly on the side of boy-girl exchanges. »

“Yes, we have more speed, but I’m not afraid. I’m ready to turn when the turn comes,” Brunelle said of the boys’ powerful pushes during the stints.

Canada won silver once in the mixed relay at the World Cup this fall, but failed to make the final on three other occasions.

“It took us a while at first, but it was getting better and better this fall,” said Cros. I’m still confident. »

Brunelle, Boutin, Courtney Sarault, Dion, Pierre-Gilles and Steven Dubois will be the members of the Canadian mixed relay. They will have the opportunity to set the tone for the Canadian team.

Boutin, Brunelle and Alyson Charles should also be in action in the women’s 500-metre preliminaries on Saturday. Dion and Pierre-Gilles should also participate in the men’s 1,000 meter preliminaries.