Monday, December 10, 2001
Can't catch Cat
By ANDREW SMITH -- Calgary Sun
Right now, the only thing that might stop Catriona Le May Doan's domination of women's speed skating is Catriona Le May Doan.
She is, after all, due to retire sooner or later.
The Saskatoon Streak was dominant yet again at yesterday's World Cup speed skating at the Olympic Oval, eclipsing her own 500-metre world record to set a new standard at 37.22 seconds.
Le May Doan was more than half a second faster than silver medallist Sabine Volker of Germany for a second consecutive day but admits somewhat surprisingly that she still has room to improve.
"I definitely don't give myself a break," said Le May Doan, who now owns the nine fastest times ever clocked in the women's 500m.
"I'll be working at getting faster. There are no big areas to work on but this week I'll sit down and break down the video.
"I don't know if I'll ever have the perfect race."
It was evident from the sound of the gun that the Cat was on a record-setting run. She crossed the 100-metre mark at 10.21 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded at that distance.
When she crossed the finish line, the pro-Canadian crowd exploded, then gave her a standing ovation as she circled the track on her cool-down lap.
While her dominance is good news for Canada's Olympic hopes, it has also set the benchmark for current and future women speed skaters.
"(Sayuri) Osuga, who I was skating with today, skated two (Japanese) national records this weekend and she says she watches how I skate," said Le May Doan.
"I take that as a compliment. It means I'm pushing our sport for women and men."
As hard as it is to believe she can go faster, Le May Doan's coach Derrick Auch tends to agree. He believes with some work, Le May Doan will get close to breaking the 37-second mark sooner rather than later.
"She's really improved her opener over the last month, and that makes me think she'll go faster," said Auch.
"But the whole team is like that. It is a constant goal to see who can go faster.
"Honestly, I haven't seen a perfect race from her this year."
Since she won the gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Le May Doan has continually chipped away at her world record.
A certain tip of the hat must go to equipment innovations such as the clap skate and the number of facilities built around the world that mimic the slick ice of Calgary's Olympic Oval.
There are also some who believe the Oval ice is faster when Calgary is under the influence of a chinook, as was the case this weekend.
But when you hear it in Le May Doan's own words, you learn that the reason she continues to set records on almost a weekly basis is that she is as dedicated an athlete as there is when it comes to self improvement.
"I'm skating well but I'll be looking hard (at the video) to see where I can get that tenth of a second," said Le May Doan.
"I'm doing what I love, so let's see how far I can push myself. There must be something more."
Like achieving that perfect race.
2002 Games Long Track Speed Skating Coverage
