ATHLETE RESULTS

WOTHERSPOON SETS NEW WORLD RECORD AND WINS FOUR GOLD AT WORLD CUP SPRINT SEASON-OPENER.

KEARNS, Utah - Jeremy Wotherspoon completed a super weekend Sunday winning both the 500 and 1,000 metres for the second straight day at the season opening World Cup long track sprint speed skating competition. Wotherspoon also set a new World Record mark in the 1000 metres on Saturday of 1:07.72.

Mike Ireland in action. AP/Elaine Thompson

Olympic champion Catriona Le May Doan was also in top form with back-to-back wins in the women's 500 metre races. Since the 1999-2000 season she has lost only one of 13 races in the 500. In the men's 1,000, Wotherspoon, the four-time defending World Cup champion in the event, didn't need to repeat Saturday's world record performance - he clocked 1:07.83.

Erben Wennemars of the Netherlands was second in 1:07.88 and Adne Sondral of Norway third in 1:08.15. Mike Ireland was fourth.

In the 500, Wotherspoon clocked 34.66 with Casey FitzRandolph of the U.S., who trains in Calgary, second at 34.71 and Ireland, with his third bronze of the meet, third at 34.96. Eric Brisson of Ste-Foy, Que., was a career best ninth.

In the women's 500, Le May Doan clocked 37.40 for the victory, a scant 11/100ths off her world mark set here last March. Volker was second in 37.64 and Sayuri Osuga of Japan third at 37.78. "They were good races but they can be better," said Le May Doan. "Once I settle down they'll be better." Two-time Olympic silver medallist Susan Auch was eighth in 38.25 after a 16th place on Saturday.

The next stop on the World Cup for the sprinters is next Saturday and Sunday in Calgary.

CANADIANS IMPRESS AT LAKE LOUISE WORLD CUP

LAKE LOUISE, CAN--When the Winterstart World Cup wrapped up at Lake Louise on Saturday, Canadians were able to hold their heads up high after the Canadian team posted a number of impressive results.

Melanie Turgeon rebounded from a disastrous fall in the downhill on Thursday to place fourth in the second downhill on Friday - just 1-100th of a second away from a podium finish. Turgeon was also the top Canadian in the Super-G, placing ninth. But perhaps the story of the weekend were the results posted by some of the up and comers on the World Cup stage.

Melanie Turgeon in action-Reuters/Shaun Best

Anne-Marie Le Francois celebrates making the SLC Olympic team-Reuters/Andy Clark

Anne-Marie Le Francois secured herself a place on the Canadian Olympic team with a 12th place finish on Friday, while Genevieve Simard earned herself the Winterthur Newcomer of the Race honours, awarded to the racer who cracks the top-15 with a bib-number higher than 45, with an 11th place finish in the Super-G on Saturday.Simard won a gold nugget worth $1,000. "I saw one-one (on the score clock) and I was like "what?" Then it was "Whoa." I was out of words. Everything is just feeling right, now," Simard said. "It's my first season full time on the World Cup and I'm just trying to keep my focus simple. I think I could be top-5. It's all possible."

"One more top-13 result would be nice to qualify for Olympics, but this is my best all-time result. It's great to be at home and have a result like that."

Technical specialist Allison Forsyth raced in her first World Cup downhill on Thursday and finished 57th. "It's sort of like a soccer player going to play hockey," joked Forsyth, who was timed in 1:42.10. "It's a different event, a different game. I'm doing this for experience." Forsyth is currently ranked third in the World Cup overall points standings. She wants to improve her downhill skills so she can race the combined event at the Olympics.

With races cancelled in Val d'Isere, France, due to lack of snow, many World Cup racers will be holding over at Lake Louise to race Nor-Am Cup Super-G races scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday.

CONNELLY CAPTURES OLYMPIC LUGE BIRTH WHILE LAUSCHER POSTS
PERSONAL BEST

LAKE PLACID, USA--Kyle Connelly captured the third and final spot on Canada's Olympic Men's Luge team at the 2nd Veissman World Cup held in Lake Placid, New York. Connelly's time of 55.270 placed him third among Canadians, guaranteeing him a place with fellow Calgarians, Tyler Seitz and Chris Moffat, in Salt Lake City.

It was also a banner weekend for Seitz, who recorded his best ever World Cup result. Seitz, the weekend's top-ranked Canadian, finished in fifth place over all with a time of 54.215, just 0.330 off the gold medal pace set by Italy's Armin Zöggeler. Chris Moffat, finished in fourteenth place over all with a time of 54.536. Team mate Jeff Christie crashed, but showed great character and determination; and finished his run with a time of 1:17.965.

Kyle Connelly

Regan Lauscher, Canada's only female Olympic luger, had her best ever World Cup finish the following day, with a ninth place time of 1:30.026 seconds. "This is an all-time personal best for me, and I am very satisfied with my results," said Regan. "Conditions were much slower than the day before, which meant that even the slightest error was much more costly than if we had been running on a harder, faster surface."

Regan is the first woman sliding for Canada at an Olympics since Kathy Salmon at the 1992 Albertville Games.

In doubles, Chris Moffat and Eric Pothier finished thirteenth with a time of 1:31.987. Team mates Grant Albrecht and Mike Moffat, followed in fourteenth place (1:32.101).

LUEDERS TIES WORLD CUP CHAMPION; MORIN EARNS SPOT ON OLYMPIC BOBSLEIGH TEAM

WINTERBERG, GER--Pierre Lueders, piloting the Canada 1 sled with Ben Hindle of Calgary, tied defending World Cup Champion Martin Annen of Switzerland with a combined time of 1:54.12 in a field of 35 sleds from 17 nations in Winterberg, Germany over the weekend.

Yannick Morin

Yannik Morin, pilot of the Canada 2 sled, earned his spot on the Canadian team at the 2002 Salt Lake Games with a 10th place 1:54.34 finish. He competed today with brakeman Giulio Zardo. Jayson Krause, piloting the Canada 3 sled with Pascal Caron, finished 28th with a combined time of 1:56.45. In the four-man competition the following day, the Canada 1 team of pilot Lueders, Ben and Matt Hindle, and Mark LeBlanc, finished 10th in a field of 30 sleds from 15 nations.

Canada 1 posted runs of 55.95 and 56.99 to finish with a final time of 1:52.94. Lueders now stands third overall in the 2-man Individual bobsleigh standings and 7th overall in the 4-man bobsleigh. Morin is 9th overall in the 2-man Individual World Cup bobsleigh standings.

CANADA LOSES TO U.S. AGAIN IN WOMEN'S HOCKEY

HAMILTON, CAN(CP)--The U.S. women's hockey team is gaining momentum as it prepares to defend its Olympic hockey title. A 1-0 victory last Friday night completed a sweep of the three-game TSN Challenge series and extended American's winning streak over Canada to five games this season.

"They're the best team in the world at this point," admitted Canada's coach, Daniele Sauvageau.

U.S. Coach Ben Smith, trying to maintain an underdog attitude among his players, insists neither of the two world powers has an edge at this stage. "These two teams just play dead-dog even," he said. "It's practically like playing in the mirror." His is a fast, hard-working team that finally has the lineup depth to create the third- and fourth-line strength needed to beat Canada. The Americans had rallied for 5-2 and 4-3 victories last Tuesday and Wednesday.

Kelly Bechard takes out Chris Bailey in women's hockey action. AP-Douglas C Pizac

"What we have to do is move on and not look back," said Vicky Sunohara. "In the big picture, these exhibition games are going to mean nothing so we won't dwell on them. The important thing is not to lose confidence. It's going to come down to one tournament, one game (in Salt Lake City in February). We just can't lose confidence."

The teams meet three more times before the Olympics. "As far as I'm concerned, we've been the underdog for four years," said Sauvageau. "When the puck is dropped in Salt Lake City, the eight games we've played them will be behind both teams."

CANADIAN SPEED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS WRAP UP IN CALGARY

CALGARY, CAN--Shannon Rempel captured the women's sprint crown Saturday as she completed a golden sweep of all four races at the long track speed skating all around and sprint national championships in Calgary.

Shannon Rempel

Rempel, 17, placed first for the second straight day in the 500 and 1,000 metres to finish first overall with 158.860 points. Danielle Wotherspoon, second in all four races, followed at 160.885 and Marie-Josee Ares-Pilon of Calgary was third at 165.305. "I felt I could have gone a lot faster but I'm pleased to win the national title," said Rempel, a double medallist at the world junior championships last year. "I've done a lot more training this year than ever before so I'm feeling a bit tired. I need some rest right now."

In the men's sprint, Jean-Rene Belanger of Sherbrooke, Que., won the 1,000 and tied for second in the 500 with a personal best time Saturday, to placed first overall with 141.805 points. Sterling Sobczak was second at 142.785 and Brock Miron of Calgary third at 143.500.

In the 3,000 finale on Sunday, national team member Cindy Overland ,who had mononucleosis this past May for the fourth time in her life, won the race in 4:12.37. In men's competition, Jay Morrison, a member of the world junior team last year, took the all around crown. Arne Dankers of Calgary won the 5,000 finale Sunday clocking 6:36.92.

SPORT SHORTS

GYMNASTICS: Grant Golding of Calgary won the men's all around crown Saturday night to conclude the Elite Canada men's gymnastics competition. Golding, 22nd all around at the worlds, had a two-day total score of 107.750 points. He recently moved from Abbotsford, B.C., to train at the Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique National Training Centre at the University of Calgary.

BIATHLON: Biathlon Canada had their Senior National Team trials in Silver Star, BC two weekends ago. Three CSCC athletes made the team: Sandra Keith; Maryke Ciaramidaro; and Robin Clegg. The team will be going to World Cups 1, 2, & 3 in Hochfilzen, Austria; Pokljuka, Slovenia; and Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia.

FREESTYLE SKIING: Strong winds delayed the start of the World Cup moguls season of freestyle skiing in Tignes, France, but Olympian Ryan Johnson of Calgary managed a 25th place finish. Jennifer Heil of Spruce Grove, Alta., was 14th in the women's competition, just ahead of one of the sports icons -- Donna Weinbrecht of the U.S. Rachel Beliveau was 21st. Heil's qualification score of 21.95 would hav e placed her 12th in the final.