VANOC Aces First Test Event

The men's 5,000-meter relay was a popular event at the Samsung ISU World Cup. (ATR/B. Mackin)Short-track speedskating’s reigning men’s world champion praised the first Vancouver 2010 indoor test event on Sunday.

Seattle’s Apolo Anton Ohno, the Olympic gold medalist in 1,500 meters at Salt Lake 2002 and 500 meters at Torino 2006, called the Samsung ISU World Cup meet at the Pacific Coliseum “very Olympic-like.”

“I was very impressed,” Ohno said. “I’ve been to two previous Games and skated at the venues before. This was, by far, the best one.”

Ohno, who learned to speedskate in the Vancouver area, singled out the ice stewards for "healing the ice after every single race.”

Ohno salvaged an otherwise lackluster weekend performance by the United States when he led his team to a comeback win over Canada in the event’s ultimate race, the men’s 5,000-meter relay.

“It was a good race, much slower in the beginning than we thought,” he said. “I was happy I could bring it back to the team and have us all stand up on the podium.”

Langley, B.C.-born Jessica Hewitt was part of Canada’s bronze medal team in the 3,000-meter women’s relay. China won gold and South Korea the silver.

“I was pretty nervous because all eyes were on me,” said Hewitt, who was competing in her second world cup. “I had to put that aside and focus on myself and focus on what I could do and try not to let it get to me.”

South Korean skaters led all nations with 10 medals, including four gold. Canada finished second, winning eight medals, including one gold in Saturday's men's 1,000 meter race by Charles Hamelin of Ste-Julie, Quebec. His brother Francois won bronze in the same race.

VANOC Vice-President of Sport Tim Gayda estimated a combined 7,000 people attended the Saturday and Sunday competition.

“(Short-track is) a very exciting sport to watch and we hope that rubs off on the rest of the community in terms of Games-time attendance,” Gayda said.

The Pacific Coliseum, a 40-year-old arena renovated South Korean skaters led the competition in total medals won Sunday. (ATR/B. Mackin)for $14.8 million, is the site of short-track speedskating and figure skating during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

“Everything has been well-organized, the volunteers are very friendly and conditions in the building are ideal,” said ISU short-track technical committee chair Andy Gabel.

A crew of 16 conducted three transition simulations; there will be 30 during the Games. Games-time transitions will involve adjusting the thickness of ice from 1 to 1.25 inches for short-track to 1.5 to 2 inches for figure skating.

VANOC’s next test events are the Jan. 16-17 nordic combined world cup and Jan. 16-18 cross-country skiing world cup, both at Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley.

With reporting from

Bob Mackin in Vancouver.

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