WINNIPEG, MB. – Winnipeg’s Heather McLean has officially qualified for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games. It will be the first trip to the Games for Canada’s best female long track sprint speedskater.

After placing second in the women’s 500-metre Long Track Olympic trials event this weekend in Calgary, McLean won the women’s 1000-metre event on Monday and Speed Skating Manitoba and the Canadian Centre for Sport Manitoba announced that McLean had indeed qualified for the Games.

“I was a little disappointed in my 500m earlier at this competition, so to come back with this 1000m and finish strong, I couldn’t ask for a better race,” McLean told the CCSM. “That was probably the best execution I’ve come up with this season as far as race plans go in that distance. I see the 1000m as a great challenge and I see the girls I compete against in the 500m go out and skate the 1000m with confidence, and that inspires me to do the same.

“I’ve never been at the Olympics, so for me to have two opportunities to go out and race is a good thing, because I want to get as much experience as I can in that environment.”

The 2018 Olympics will be held in Korea from Feb, 9-25, in PyeongChang, about 126 kilometres east of Seoul.

Scott Taylor, Manitoba Post

Photo courtesy CCSM