麻豆社区

Former world champion speedskater Mengyao "Maggie鈥� Qi will return to Whitehorse Feb. 1 to 3 to host her very popular annual speedskating camp.

Thanks to funding provided by the Government of Yukon and Lotteries Yukon, the camp is organized by the Whitehorse Rapids Speed Skating Club and the Yukon Amateur Speed Skating Association.

The camp is being held on the ATCO ice surface at the Canada Games Centre.

As a coach, Qi knows what she is talking about 鈥� she was once on the gold medal-winning Chinese short track speedskating junior team.

Qi normally coaches some of the best speed skaters in Canada at the National Speedskating Training Centre in Calgary.

As the short track speedskating coach at the Olympic Oval, Qi specializes in fundamental skating techniques, starting tactics and racing strategies.

"My goal coming to the Yukon is to teach the latest speedskating techniques 鈥� the same techniques that the skaters at the Calgary Oval are working on,鈥� Qi said.

The speedskating camp runs Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday, and is targeted towards skaters of all ages who already have some skating ability.

The camp is becoming quite popular, with skaters coming this year from Alaska and Grande Prairie, Alta., as well as from the Yukon.

On Sunday morning from 9 to 11:30 a.m., races will be held for all skaters from the three clubs, and some of these races will be rematches from last year's Arctic Winter Games.

There is still time to register, even for beginner skaters.

Registration information can be found at www.short-track06.com. Interested parties can also phone Phil Hoffman at 633-5984.