Gold already at Games: Speedskater Hathaway helps pursuit team to top of podium

By Medicine Hat News on February 19, 2019.

Medicine Hat News

Medicine Hat already has its first medal at the Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, and it’s a golden one.

Long track speedskater Josh Hathaway helped Alberta to a win in Team Pursuit Sunday, the team crossing the line in 4:05.41. That was 10 seconds faster than Quebec and Ontario, which finished second and third respectively within a second of each other.

Hathaway, 19, was joined on the podium by Calgarians Paul Coderre and Max Halyk, plus Cranford’s Kaleb Muller.

Hathaway, who moved to Calgary a couple years ago to focus on skating, will have another chance to medal in his best event, the 5,000 metres, on Tuesday. In the 1,500 Saturday he was eighth, then took 15th in the 500 on Sunday.

His Games wrap up Wednesday with the 1,000 metre and mass start events.
As for other Hatters at the Games, boxer Janick Lacroix wasted no time in his first-round matchup Sunday. Facing James Thornes of Newfoundland in a 75 kilogram division matchup, the national champion scored a first-round stoppage.

On Monday he earned a unanimous decision over British Columbia’s Jonathan Hannah, advancing to Wednesday’s final.

“I feel good,” Lacroix said in a press release after the Hannah fight, noting he’d lost the last time they met up. “He’s a tough kid. I’m looking forward to fighting in the gold medal fight.”

Fellow boxer Tristan Deveau lost on points to British Columbia’s Dylan Clark-Erlandson Sunday, winning on just one of the five judges’ scorecards in a 69 kg bout. With only four boxers in the division, he’ll still fight for bronze Wednesday.

As for women’s hockey player Jordan Mortlock, her team doesn’t begin play until next week, with the gold medal game set for the last day of competition March 2.

Redcliff snowboarder Ryder Petrick is also Games-bound, with his events also taking place in the second week of competition.

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