Wolf River | Thirteen months ago, Charles Hamelin became the most successful male athlete at the Winter Games by winning the sixth Olympic medal of his career in Beijing. A year later he is present at the Jeux du Québec and it is time to give something back to young people.
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And this youth impresses him. As an analyst for short-distance speed skating competitions, the one nicknamed the “Locomotive of Sainte-Julie” noticed that the train was going faster and faster.
“All the girls and all the boys beat my times back then. It shows how the sport has evolved,” he remarks admiringly.
He particularly highlighted the course of the three Joly sisters, each scooping two gold medals, performances that toured Quebec.
“They were the favorites but it’s a lot of pressure, it’s going on in your head so what they’ve achieved is exceptional. »
Stay in touch
Charles Hamelin is touched to see he has become an idol and more importantly a role model for young hopefuls including Alexis Dubuc-Bilodeau, who won three gold medals at this week’s Quebec games.
That’s why he wants to remain accessible to the next generation, just like the older ones did when he first started skating.
“You don’t start a sport saying you’ll be the idol, but I wanted to pursue my dream and now, if it can serve as an example,” explains the four-time Olympic champion.
“Alexis, I communicate with him, we text each other regularly, he asks me questions and it always makes me happy. [de lui répondre]. It’s not an effort,” he adds.
The former international is full of praise for young Dubuc-Bilodeau.
“Dominating so much, being confident and executing it is a step in the right direction. The Quebec Games are mini Olympic Games. You take that experience and take it to a higher level,” says Hamelin, who warns the youngster not to rest on his laurels.
“If you lift your foot, there’s a skater to take your place. »
Quebec games
Can you believe that the biggest medalist in Canadian history finished 16th out of 16 skaters in his only appearance at the 1997 Quebec Games?
And yet it is the reality. Charles Hamelin has fond memories of his time at the Saint-Romuald Games.
“I didn’t go there to break records when I was 13, but what an extraordinary experience. The bus ride, the athletes’ village, the ceremony, it’s like the Olympics,” says Hamelin.
A special medal
Close to his emotions, Charles Hamelin uses his interview with Le Journal to return to the gold medal in the 5000m relay he won with his brother François in Vancouver in 2010.
Archive photo
The medal he treasures the most is the one he won with his brother at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
“You can have lows, but if you work hard and work hard […] The pendulum is coming,” reveals the multiple medal winner of his career.
“That’s what happened to my brother, he made it to the national team, he was with me for 13 years, three Olympics and a relay medal in Vancouver 2010, which is the medal I cherish the most. »
In the footsteps of his childhood idol
Photo courtesy of Éric Bédard
Alexis Dubuc-Bilodeau climbed to the top step of the podium during the 1500m final of the Quebec Games in Rivière-du-Loup.
Alexis Dubuc-Bilodeau is currently Canada’s fastest 15-year-old skater. The Mauricie athlete swept it all away at the Quebec Games this week, winning three gold medals in as many individual races.
Even if his goals come with enormous pressure, the teenager from Cap-de-la-Madeleine doesn’t hesitate to say that he dreams of the Olympics and wants to follow in the footsteps of his idol and mentor Charles Hamlin.
“My goal is to go to the Canada Games, the World Junior Championship selections and the Olympics,” he says, adding that he would like to pursue a career in skating.
Even his coach is not stung. Éric Bédard, winner of four Olympic Games medals, has been her full-time coach and father-in-law for a dozen years.
“He has great potential. With the current weather, we have to say that in two years he will be knocking on the door of the Junior World Championships,” notes Bédard, who nevertheless remains cautious in his comments due to his attachment to the young skater.
Very quickly
However, when it comes to speed skating, there are data that are not deceptive. Alexis Dubuc-Bilodeau is already clocking in at 8.7 seconds per lap, while the world bests are clocking in at 8.0 to 8.1 seconds per lap.
“He’s the best in the world by around 0.6 seconds. For example, it’s a speed that Mathieu Pelletier rode two years ago, but it’s very rare. A 15-year-old does that in Canada and Alexis is still running on his 14-year-old year,” recalled his coach.
Photo courtesy of Éric Bédard
Alexis Dubuc-Bilodeau (Navy Blue Helmet #3) in action at the Calgary Junior Open in November.
In addition to his pace and physical ability, the 15-year-old has shown he is capable of excellent race management since the start of the season. A strength that skaters often only develop a little later.
“Alexis has been in skating for a long time and he has great racing intelligence. He analyzes the best a lot, he takes Mathieu Pelletier for example, who also won three gold medals at the last Quebec Games in 2019. He will take Charles Hamelin’s advice, he always wants to improve,” notes Éric Bedard.
In a class of its own
Alexis Dubuc-Bilodeau had circled the Quebec Games date and already the pressure was on, but he showed all his opponents that he was in a class of his own.
“Before the first race he was very nervous. We got him to put it into words, pressure is part of top-class sport […] You have to control what you can control and he had one of the best races of his life.”
A few hours before leaving Bas-Saint-Laurent, Alexis Dubuc-Bilodeau had very fond memories of his race and time at the Quebec Games.
“It’s a great experience. Being with the gang, eating together, sleeping together, doing activities, everyone encourages each other and it’s really fun,” remarks the one who was delighted with the results of Mauricie, who won 11 gold medals in speed skating.
Éric Bédard is very proud of these results. Especially since it was a homecoming for him, spending four years of his life in Rivière-du-Loup with the coaching member of the Sports Hall of Fame, Dr. Francois Gougoux, trained.
He even stayed with his coach. A situation he is currently experiencing with his son-in-law.
“Francois was tough,” he recalls with a laugh. But he made the cut between training and home. He could have fun when it was time. I have to say it’s helping me now and I’m trying to do the same with Alexis,” he concludes.