By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Figure skating test event underway at Canada Games Centre

Nov 1, 2018 | 12:33 PM

The latest test event for the Canada Winter Games is happening now through Sunday at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Skate Canada is hosting the figure skating sectional event, which acts as the organization’s provincial championships. There are more than 270 athletes competing from Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Holly Henderson, Technical Director for the section, says there’s a buzz in the air knowing this is where skaters will vie for gold during next February’s 2019 Canada Winter Games.

“It’s brand new and it’s a fabulous building. Everybody working here at the sectional championship is saying it’s a great building to work in,” Henderson says. “Plus, it’s always very exciting to be in a college atmosphere with students around, and other sports and events.”

Those who secure medals at this event will head to the 2019 Skate Canada Challenge in Edmonton, which acts as the national championship for pre-novice skaters.

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Older skaters will qualify from that event to the 2019 Canadian Tire Skating Championships this January in Saint John. From there, the best will be selected for the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer.

“The Canada Winter Games being in our home province is very exciting and coming to Red Deer is certainly going to be a lot of fun,” Henderson adds. “This’ll be my fourth Canada Games as a team manager and I’m quite excited to finally be at a winter games in my own province.”

She also notes that the eagerness to be there and compete has been infectious throughout all the skaters, something only bolstered by the help athletes are getting.

“We’ve utilized some of the sports science experts available to us through Alberta Sport Connection,” she explains, noting that includes sports psychologists, nutritionists and media training. 

“We have had access to all sorts of different opportunities as a result of the lead-up to the Canada Winter Games. They have a pretty good formula and continue to refine it, but each time we come back it gets better and better.”

Attendance at this weekend’s event, which began on Wednesday, is free. It is also being live-streamed.