THE FAST LANE - FEBRUARY EDITION

Beginning of 2026 Highlights

The season is in full swing!

January & Early February: Long Track Season in Full Swing

January marked the heart of Alberta’s long track season, as outdoor ovals opened and athletes across the province took full advantage of prime racing conditions. From record-breaking performances to Olympic & International team selections, it’s been an exciting stretch for Alberta Speed Skating.
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⛸️ Outdoor Oval Highlights – Red Deer

The Western Canadian Outdoor Classic Long Track in Red Deer delivered everything you hope for in an outdoor competition: beautiful weather, fast ice, and outstanding performances. The event saw multiple track records fall, including standout results from Alberta skaters. Emma Langstrom was among the record breakers, making the most of near-perfect conditions and showcasing the speed that outdoor racing can produce.
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🏟️ ABLT at the Olympic Oval

The Alberta Long Track (ABLT) competitions at the Olympic Oval brought together athletes from across Alberta and beyond, offering valuable racing opportunities for skaters at all stages of development. With strong participation and fast times throughout the events, these competitions also created excellent development opportunities for our officials, reinforcing Alberta’s strength both on and off the ice.
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🇨🇦 Neo Junior & Junior Long Track Championships

Alberta athletes delivered an impressive showing at the Neo Junior and Junior Long Track Championships, with strong depth across the field and several podium finishes.

At the Neo Junior Championships, Alberta skaters demonstrated consistency and competitiveness, including:

Myla Ireland – 3rd overall, Zosia Adelman & Gavin Tyrell both– 8th overall & Mollie Poulin – 11th overall

The Junior Championships were particularly memorable for Alberta:

Zakhary Adelman – 2nd overall, named to the Junior Long Track World Championships Team

Isabelle Champaign – 3rd overall, named to the Junior Long Track World Championships Team

Maxine Volstad – 4th overall, named to the Junior Long Track World Championships Team

Brock Gilbert – named to the Junior Long Track World Championships Team

Marek Chomin – named to the Junior Long Track World Championships Team

A special highlight came in the mixed relay, where Isabelle Champaign and Zakhary Adelman skated to a track record that also stands as a Canadian Junior Record, finishing just four seconds off the world record, an incredible achievement.

Several other Alberta skaters posted solid performances and valuable Neo Junior & Junior championship experience, contributing to a very successful event for the province, these skaters include: Tatiana de Vlieg, Ricky Lin, Luke Lu, Connor Craig, Charlotte Perkins, Amaranth Wang, Madison Fox, Poppy Wheelhouse.Nathan Kettyele-Kozuback, Erik Angelozzi, Angus Hicks, James Wigelsworth!
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🔥 Canada Cup 1 & Olympic Team Selection

Alberta was also well represented at the Senior Canadian Championships, where athletes competed for national titles and spots on the Canadian Olympic Team.
Not only did we have a strong team of Athletes, our officials were also well represented with both Rhona Hathaway and Melanie Winters there, making sure that the racing and selection process happened fairly & smoothly.

Our Alberta Olympians are currently walking in to the stadium in Milan during the Opening Ceremonies before racing starts tomorrow!

Good luck to:​
​Brooklyn McDougall, Ted-Jan Bloemen, Laura Hall, Daniel Hall, and Anders Johnson.
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We can't wait to cheer you on!

Looking Ahead

🇨🇦 Looking Ahead – Canadian Youth Long Track Championships & Community Outreach
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As part of the Canadian Youth Long Track Championships, which Speed Skating Alberta is proud to host this weekend, youth athletes from across Canada will walk into the Olympic Oval during their banquet on Friday, February 6, recreating the feeling of an Olympic opening ceremony. With over 30 Alberta athletes competing, we want to wish all participants the very best — let that Olympic flame inspire you as you take the ice!

During the Youth Long Track Championships, Speed Skating Alberta is partnering with local businesses in Calgary’s University District to launch a Local Discount Card initiative. Participants, families, and members of the local speed skating community will have the opportunity to purchase a discount card that offers savings at a number of fantastic local spots, including The Banquet & Burrow, Market Wines, YYC Cycle as well as discounts at Save-On-Foods. Discount cards will be available for $10, with pickup at the Olympic Oval.
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Looking beyond this weekend, Speed Skating Alberta is excited to be partnering with the Canadian Olympic Committee (Fan Fest) and Sport Calgary (Winterfest) to host upcoming try-it and exposure events in the coming weeks. These large-scale community events give the public a chance to meet our athletes, coaches, and volunteers, try speed skating, and learn about how to get involved in the sport.

Fan Fest will take place on February 14 & 15, followed by Winterfest on February 16. If you’re interested in helping out — whether coaching/instructing, skating around, or simply being a friendly representative of speed skating — we’d love to hear from you. These events are a great way to connect with the local community and showcase our sport.
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At the same time, our athletes will be representing eight zones from across Alberta at the Alberta Winter Games in Cold Lake from February 13–16, with racing happening on February 14 & 15.
More information about the Games can be found here, and we wish all our skaters an incredible and memorable experience!

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(Want to experience the games from up close? We're still looking for a a couple volunteers for during the games, you can sign up here.)​

We’re looking forward to engaging with new communities through these initiatives and to applying what we learn as we head to Edmonton later this season during the Canada Cup Junior Final, where we plan to host several outreach and exposure events as well.

Club Corner

Read about what others have been up to in the community