Prince George speed skater Carolina Hiller completed a national trifecta Thursday at the Canadian long track championships in Quebec City.
The 27-year-old Prince George Blizzard club member raced to gold in the women’s 500-metre event – her third consecutive national title in the event.
“Being national champion in the 500m for the third year in a row is pretty exciting and I’m proud of myself,” said Hiller.
“Overall, I am really proud of how I skated today. There were a few parts that were a little sloppy, so I’m looking forward to cleaning that up tomorrow in the 1,000m.”
Hiller, a two-time world champion in the team sprint, finished the 500 m course in 38.63, ahead of silver medalist Beatrice Lamarche of Quebec City (38.94) and Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin (39.05).
Blondin went on to win the women’s 3,000 m event, clocking 4:10.03. Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Que. Won silver (4:11.32) and Laura Hall of Salmon Arm claimed bronze (4:12.14), her first senior national medal.
Laurent Dubreuil of Quebec City captured the men’s 500m title in 34.71. Yankun Zhao of Calgary (35.03) and Anders Johnson of Burnaby (35.19) took silver and bronze respectively.
Blizzard club member Eric Orlowsky of Prince George, 23, did not finish Thursday’s men’s 5,000 m event, won by Graeme Fish of Moose Jaw, Sask. In 6:21.79.
Daniel Hall of Calgary claimed silver (6:32.40) and Connor Howe of Canmore was the bronze medalist (6:41.15).
The men will race the 1,000 m and 10,000 m events today, while the women will tackle the 1,000 m and 3,000 m events.
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