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Speedskater Nesbitt wants to keep racing after frightening collision |
Donna Spencer, THE CANADIAN PRESS 2009-03-02 19:02:00
CALGARY - It was nearly another blow for Canada's injury-ravaged long-track speedskating team.
But star long-tracker Christine Nesbitt intends to race the World Cup final starting Friday with four stitches in the back of her scalp after last week's collision with another skater at the 2010 Olympic venue in Richmond, B.C.
Nesbitt, the World Cup leader in the women's 1,000 metres, shoulder-checked too late while changing lanes and was hit from behind by Canadian teammate Matt McLean.
Nesbitt's shoulder took most of the impact but she still suffered a mild concussion in addition to the cut, while McLean got away with a laceration.
"I obviously hit my head hard enough that it burst a little bit and needed some stitches," she recalled Monday. "I was lucky. I could have hit my head way harder.
"When I pulled my hands off my head and they were covered in blood, I thought it was really bad. A little bit of blood always looks like a lot."
Multi-Olympic medallist Cindy Klassen is sitting out the season following knee surgery and world-record holder Jeremy Wotherspoon's broken arm wiped out his campaign. The Canadian team can ill-afford to lose another reliable medal producer, which Nesbitt has become.
The 23-year-old from London, Ont., leads the overall 1,000 metres on the strength of six podium finishes, including three gold medals. Nesbitt also ranks second in the 1,500-metre overall standings behind Ottawa's Kristina Groves.
Nesbitt was looking forward to the fast ice in Salt Lake in the World Cup final and after that, trying to win a world championship medal at the Olympic venue next week in Richmond.
But she missed two days of on-ice training following her mishap last Wednesday. She put her skates back on Monday at the Olympic Oval in Calgary.
"Of course, I was worried it could affect these races and it still might, but I'm lucky it's not the Olympic year," Nesbitt said. "Maybe I needed the rest anyway?
"Today is the first harder training that I've done. I'm going to have tomorrow off just to see how I react to this and how my head is doing. Hopefully I'll be fine to race Friday and Saturday."
Coach Ingrid Paul felt Nesbitt was healthy enough to race in Salt Lake and that she should be ready for the world single distance championships March 12-15 at the Richmond Oval.
Nesbitt's lone world championship medal to date is a bronze in the 1,000 metres two years ago.
She's developed into an elite international racer under the wings of Canadian veterans Klassen, Groves and Clara Hughes. Nesbitt was a member of the pursuit team that won an Olympic silver medal in 2006, but is now a definite individual medal threat in the 1,000 and 1,500.
"I know she can be on the podium," Paul said. "She showed it this year. She's very consistent and not everyone can do that."
In Klassen's absence, Nesbitt has raced head-to-head in final pairings with Groves and German star Anni Friesinger, who are both older and more experienced.
"Cindy would never steal the spotlight, but she is incredible," Nesbitt said. "She's the world-record holder in three distances and she's won Olympic medals in everything. So of course she's going to be a major focus. The fact she hasn't raced this year has given us the opportunity to be more exposed.
"I've wondered how I would be comparing to Cindy if she were back at her peak right now. I guess we'll find out next year."
Her head notwithstanding, Nesbitt says she's never been this physically fit late in her racing season. She gives credit to Paul, a Dutchwoman hired by Speed Skating Canada last summer, for revamping her training program.
"It's been more my body maturing, but I needed to do extra things or less of other things so I don't burn myself out at the end," Nesbitt explained. "That's been monitored really well and tailored to me really well.
"The Olympics are at the end of the season for us, so it's something that's really important to me."
What bothers Nesbitt, however, is that she hasn't had that one sweet race this season where everything came together.
"I feel like I have all this power and haven't found a way to put it into the ice and into my races," Nesbitt explained. "When I do that, maybe I will be like Cindy and dominate the way she smashed those world records. Nobody has been able to touch them.
"The fact that I haven't had a race I've been really satisfied with this year, it's annoying."
But star long-tracker Christine Nesbitt intends to race the World Cup final starting Friday with four stitches in the back of her scalp after last week's collision with another skater at the 2010 Olympic venue in Richmond, B.C.
Nesbitt, the World Cup leader in the women's 1,000 metres, shoulder-checked too late while changing lanes and was hit from behind by Canadian teammate Matt McLean.
Nesbitt's shoulder took most of the impact but she still suffered a mild concussion in addition to the cut, while McLean got away with a laceration.
"I obviously hit my head hard enough that it burst a little bit and needed some stitches," she recalled Monday. "I was lucky. I could have hit my head way harder.
"When I pulled my hands off my head and they were covered in blood, I thought it was really bad. A little bit of blood always looks like a lot."
Multi-Olympic medallist Cindy Klassen is sitting out the season following knee surgery and world-record holder Jeremy Wotherspoon's broken arm wiped out his campaign. The Canadian team can ill-afford to lose another reliable medal producer, which Nesbitt has become.
The 23-year-old from London, Ont., leads the overall 1,000 metres on the strength of six podium finishes, including three gold medals. Nesbitt also ranks second in the 1,500-metre overall standings behind Ottawa's Kristina Groves.
Nesbitt was looking forward to the fast ice in Salt Lake in the World Cup final and after that, trying to win a world championship medal at the Olympic venue next week in Richmond.
But she missed two days of on-ice training following her mishap last Wednesday. She put her skates back on Monday at the Olympic Oval in Calgary.
"Of course, I was worried it could affect these races and it still might, but I'm lucky it's not the Olympic year," Nesbitt said. "Maybe I needed the rest anyway?
"Today is the first harder training that I've done. I'm going to have tomorrow off just to see how I react to this and how my head is doing. Hopefully I'll be fine to race Friday and Saturday."
Coach Ingrid Paul felt Nesbitt was healthy enough to race in Salt Lake and that she should be ready for the world single distance championships March 12-15 at the Richmond Oval.
Nesbitt's lone world championship medal to date is a bronze in the 1,000 metres two years ago.
She's developed into an elite international racer under the wings of Canadian veterans Klassen, Groves and Clara Hughes. Nesbitt was a member of the pursuit team that won an Olympic silver medal in 2006, but is now a definite individual medal threat in the 1,000 and 1,500.
"I know she can be on the podium," Paul said. "She showed it this year. She's very consistent and not everyone can do that."
In Klassen's absence, Nesbitt has raced head-to-head in final pairings with Groves and German star Anni Friesinger, who are both older and more experienced.
"Cindy would never steal the spotlight, but she is incredible," Nesbitt said. "She's the world-record holder in three distances and she's won Olympic medals in everything. So of course she's going to be a major focus. The fact she hasn't raced this year has given us the opportunity to be more exposed.
"I've wondered how I would be comparing to Cindy if she were back at her peak right now. I guess we'll find out next year."
Her head notwithstanding, Nesbitt says she's never been this physically fit late in her racing season. She gives credit to Paul, a Dutchwoman hired by Speed Skating Canada last summer, for revamping her training program.
"It's been more my body maturing, but I needed to do extra things or less of other things so I don't burn myself out at the end," Nesbitt explained. "That's been monitored really well and tailored to me really well.
"The Olympics are at the end of the season for us, so it's something that's really important to me."
What bothers Nesbitt, however, is that she hasn't had that one sweet race this season where everything came together.
"I feel like I have all this power and haven't found a way to put it into the ice and into my races," Nesbitt explained. "When I do that, maybe I will be like Cindy and dominate the way she smashed those world records. Nobody has been able to touch them.
"The fact that I haven't had a race I've been really satisfied with this year, it's annoying."
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