Persistence has paid off in a big way for long track speed skater Carolina Hiller.
The 25-year-old from Prince George will represent Canada in the next four World Cup events after she won the 500-metre title at the Canadian championships in Quebec City.
Hiller clocked a personal-best 38.48 seconds and set a track record on the 400-mete oval at the Centre de Glace in Quebec on Oct. 13.
She’s one of eight women named to the Canadian team for World Cup races in Stavanger, Norway (Nov. 11-13), Heerenveen, Netherlands (Nov. 18-20) and back-to-back events in Calgary (Dec. 9-11, Dec. 16-18).
“I’m really proud of myself, said Hiller. “This year, I want to prove to myself I can compete at this level, and I think I accomplished that with (her Canadian championships 500m race).”
Hiller’s national title winning time was nearly a half-second faster than her previous best of 38.89, set last December in Calgary.
Hiller also posted the sixth-quickest time in the 1,000m event (1:17.24), shaving nearly a second off her previous best time of 1:18.37, set last year.
Hiller got her start racing with the Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club and was a three-time silver medalist in long track at the 2015 Canada Winter Games. She moved to Calgary after graduating high school and was on the NextGen national team for four years, from 2017-2021, but was dropped from the team a year ago and lost her national team funding. She then joined the Calgary Oval program, where for the past three months she‘s been coached by former Olympic team sprinter Kevin Crockett.
She’s in her fourth year studying kinesiology at the University of Calgary.
The other women’s World Cup team members heading to Europe next month are: Ivanie Blondin of Ottawa, Beatrice Lamarche of Quebec City, Valerie Maltais of Le Baie, Que., Brooklyn McDougall of Calgary, Alexa Scott of Clandeboye, Man., Isabelle Widemann of Ottawa and Rose Laliberte-Roy of Saint-Etienne, Que.
On the men’s team are: Jordan Belchos of Toronto, Cedrick Brunet of Gatineau, Que., Laurent Dubreuil of Levis, Que., Chistopher Fiala of Montreal, Graeme Fish of Moose Jaw, Sask., Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu of Sherbrooke, Que., Connor Howe of Canmore, Alta., and Tyler Langelaar of Winnipeg.
Alison Desmarais of Vanderhoof, 22, has been selected for the World Cup team for the two events in Calgary.
