November 9, 2023, Charlottetown – The Eliyahu Wellness Centre Canada Games Place in North Rustico will host its first major speed skating event since the Canada Winter Games this weekend. Over 100 speed skaters from across the Maritimes will take to the ice for the 31st annual Atlantic Cup Speed Skating Championships.
Christian Hayden (left) will compete for PEI at the Atlantic Cup this weekend. Ontario Speed Skating photo.
Speed Skating PEI President Eric Reynard says that athletes are excited to be competing again in the new facility in North Rustico. “We saw many fast times and personal bests at the Canada Winter Games last February and speed skaters always love the fast ice. Couple that with it being the first Atlantic Cup to be held on a full-sized Olympic ice surface and we’ve got a recipe for a great weekend for athletes and spectators alike.”
Speed Skating PEI says that 11 clubs from across the Maritimes will compete at the event. P.E.I. will be well represented, with 20 Islanders competing. The Island team will be led by Canada Winter Games veterans Carter and Addison Bruce, along with recent overall winner at the Citadel Cup in Halifax, Brendan Reynard. Island female skaters Olivia Zhang, Mirthe de Haan and Darrah Ward are also touted as skaters to watch.
Atlantic Cup racing runs from 8:55 am until 5:00 pm on Saturday and from 8:55 am until early-afternoon on Sunday. The event will feature eight racing divisions, including a Special Olympics division. Skaters from ages six to masters / adult skaters will compete over race distances ranging from 85-metres for the youngest skaters, up to 3,000-metres for the fastest and most experienced competitors. Admission is free and open to all spectators.
For more information about the Atlantic Cup and speed skating programs on P.E.I., visit www.speedskatingpei.ca.
