Laura Hall of Salmon Arm covered 3,000 metres of smooth outdoor ice in Edmonton faster than almost any other speed skater her age at the Canadian Age Class Long Track Championships held on Feb. 4 and 5.
When Laura crossed the finish line with a time of 5:35.958, it was fast enough to earn her a silver medal in the 13-year-old female division.
Laura was also a part of the bronze medal-winning team for the five-lap team pursuit.
This year was not Laura’s first podium appearance at the Canadian Championships; she took home a bronze in the 3,000-metres two years ago.
Laura has been speed skating since she was five years old.
She travels to Vernon three times per week for training. Along with dryland training, she skates one hour-long and two 45-minute-long ice sessions each week.The training in Vernon is on the short track, as the nearest places to practise on the long track are Calgary and Prince George.
Laura said she travels to Calgary for long-track races and training camps a couple times a year.
Although she also competes in short track, Laura prefers long.
“I like the Olympic style and having my own lane. I don’t like all the pushing and shoving in the short track.”
Speed skating is a family affair for the Halls; Laura’s father Mike also oversees her training as head coach of the Vernon Vortex Speed Skating Club. Mike skated for Canada at the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer.
“It’s a really good, clean, family sport,” Mike said. He went on to praise the close-knit speed skating community.
“It’s fairly unique for the kids, in that when she goes to competitions there are athletes from other countries who quite likely will be in the next Olympics who hang out with her and warm up and all the rest of that. That doesn’t happen in most other sports,” Mike said. He adds there is a lack of inflated egos among the elite of the sport.
Mike said what Laura is doing, training predominantly on a short track but finding success in long track races, is uncommon.
In the immediate future, Laura has the short track provincial championships coming up in early March.
Going forward, Laura said she aims to improve her result in the 3,000-metre long track event, hoping she will be able to top the podium at next year’s championships.
Once she turns 14, Laura will be able to compete at the junior level, including in the Junior World Championships if she is able to qualify.
Mike says at the junior level, competition gets stiffer as the skaters get bigger and stronger. At this point, Laura’s technique, rather than her strength, is her advantage.
“She’ll be forced to adapt and develop some more strength,” he said.
The Halls plan to use a training regimen developed by former Canadian national team coach Jack Walters, which has been successful at preparing young skaters for national-level competitions in the past.
“She’s got a whole lot of work ahead of her yet. It’s just a matter of whether or not she has the perseverance to do it, because it’s not always fun,” Mike said.