Press Release
Hewitt has no regrets after disqualification
CanWest News Service
Fri 24 Oct 2008
Byline: Gary Kingston
Dateline: VANCOUVER
Source: Canwest News Service
VANCOUVER- Jessica Hewitt's bold late-race gamble didn't pay off Friday, but the ISU World Cup short track speedskating rookie from Kamloops, B. C., wasn't fretting her disqualification.
In her mind, it was like getting a merit badge for trying.
Sitting third with two laps to go in her 1,000-metre heat at Pacific Coliseum - and needing to finish top two to advance directly to Sunday's quarter-finals - Hewitt attempted a risky inside pass on Korean Kim Min-Jung and Fu Tian Yu of China.
In the process, she bumped Fu. Despite crossing the line second, she was disqualified for `impeding.'
"The problem was, I hesitated,'' said Hewitt. "The girl in front of me slipped and I had my speed built up. I went for second and at the last moment, I saw first open. I was kind of questioning whether I should or shouldn't go. But when you're questioning it, by that time it's too late.
"If I had stuck with the plan and just gone for second, or been more aggressive and just gone for first, I would have had it, I think.''
At least it proved to the 22-year-old that she can skate with the world's best.
"It's good to know I can race with the Chinese and Koreans because it's pretty intimidating to see those (suit) colours in your race. I'm happy that I at least tried something. The fact I got DQ'd is just part of short track. I'll learn from it. Next time, I'll be more confident knowing I can race with them.''
Disqualified racers don't get a chance to race in the repechages. But Friday wasn't all bad for Hewitt.
She finished second to Nina Evteeva of Russia in her 1,500-metre heat to advance directly to Saturday's semifinal in that event.
Hewitt said she was more relaxed this weekend after dipping her skate blades into the World Cup pond for the first time in Salt Lake City.
"I was still a bit nervous because it is my home province . . . but I knew more what to expect and I just kind of had fun. I was laughing warming up and way more relaxed. Now, I'd love to make the final.''
On a taxing 10-hour day of preliminaries and heats, Canada qualified all three of it's men - brothers Francois and Charles Hamelin, of Levis, Que., and Francois-Louis Tremblay of Montreal - into Saturday's quarter-finals for the first of the two 1,000 metre races this weekend. On the women's side, only Marianne St-Gelais of St.-Felicien, Que., advanced directly to the quarter- finals. Anne Maltais of Montreal and Jessica Gregg of Edmonton will have to skate in the morning repechage races to try to win one of the final two spots into the quarters.
Francois Hamelin, Tremblay and Olivier Jean of Montreal all qualified for Sunday's 500 metre quarter-finals, as did Gregg and St.-Gelais. Maltais was disqualified in her heat.
While the Coliseum has undergone a $19 million retrofit to host short track and figure skating in 2010, some skaters say the ice still isn't as good as it could be.
"It's OK, it's not the perfect ice,'' said Francois Hamelin. "It could be harder, but the staff here has tried to do as much as they can do to make the ice better.''
Hewitt has no regrets after disqualification
CanWest News Service
Fri 24 Oct 2008
Byline: Gary Kingston
Dateline: VANCOUVER
Source: Canwest News Service
VANCOUVER- Jessica Hewitt's bold late-race gamble didn't pay off Friday, but the ISU World Cup short track speedskating rookie from Kamloops, B. C., wasn't fretting her disqualification.
In her mind, it was like getting a merit badge for trying.
Sitting third with two laps to go in her 1,000-metre heat at Pacific Coliseum - and needing to finish top two to advance directly to Sunday's quarter-finals - Hewitt attempted a risky inside pass on Korean Kim Min-Jung and Fu Tian Yu of China.
In the process, she bumped Fu. Despite crossing the line second, she was disqualified for `impeding.'
"The problem was, I hesitated,'' said Hewitt. "The girl in front of me slipped and I had my speed built up. I went for second and at the last moment, I saw first open. I was kind of questioning whether I should or shouldn't go. But when you're questioning it, by that time it's too late.
"If I had stuck with the plan and just gone for second, or been more aggressive and just gone for first, I would have had it, I think.''
At least it proved to the 22-year-old that she can skate with the world's best.
"It's good to know I can race with the Chinese and Koreans because it's pretty intimidating to see those (suit) colours in your race. I'm happy that I at least tried something. The fact I got DQ'd is just part of short track. I'll learn from it. Next time, I'll be more confident knowing I can race with them.''
Disqualified racers don't get a chance to race in the repechages. But Friday wasn't all bad for Hewitt.
She finished second to Nina Evteeva of Russia in her 1,500-metre heat to advance directly to Saturday's semifinal in that event.
Hewitt said she was more relaxed this weekend after dipping her skate blades into the World Cup pond for the first time in Salt Lake City.
"I was still a bit nervous because it is my home province . . . but I knew more what to expect and I just kind of had fun. I was laughing warming up and way more relaxed. Now, I'd love to make the final.''
On a taxing 10-hour day of preliminaries and heats, Canada qualified all three of it's men - brothers Francois and Charles Hamelin, of Levis, Que., and Francois-Louis Tremblay of Montreal - into Saturday's quarter-finals for the first of the two 1,000 metre races this weekend. On the women's side, only Marianne St-Gelais of St.-Felicien, Que., advanced directly to the quarter- finals. Anne Maltais of Montreal and Jessica Gregg of Edmonton will have to skate in the morning repechage races to try to win one of the final two spots into the quarters.
Francois Hamelin, Tremblay and Olivier Jean of Montreal all qualified for Sunday's 500 metre quarter-finals, as did Gregg and St.-Gelais. Maltais was disqualified in her heat.
While the Coliseum has undergone a $19 million retrofit to host short track and figure skating in 2010, some skaters say the ice still isn't as good as it could be.
"It's OK, it's not the perfect ice,'' said Francois Hamelin. "It could be harder, but the staff here has tried to do as much as they can do to make the ice better.''