Kelowna speed skaters shine at BC Winter Games

Photo: MIchael Mong

Kelowna Speed Skaters came home from the Lhtako-Quesnel 2024 BC Winter Games with some hardware, some new personal best racing times and an overall amazing experience.

Representing the Zone 2 Team from the Thompson-Okanagan were Henry Eeson, Callum Stuart, Xander Haaheim, Liliana Sturrock, Addison Hank, Dylan Hughes and Talia Halperin.

Xander Haaheim, skating in the U14 male category, came home with three medals.

The young man took home a gold medal in the 400-metre race, a bronze medal in the 1,000-metre race, and a silver medal in the Mixed-Team Relay.

Sturrock was also part of the silver medal winning U14 Mixed Relay Team and Halperin made every A-Final for her individual events before taking silver in the U16 Mixed-Relay Team along with three teammates from Kamloops.

“The skaters thrived within he BCWG experience, they competed very well, and will carry the memories of the Games for their lifetime. Lhtako- Quesnel was a huge success," said Kelowna’s director of coaching Christine Hank.

Stuart, Hank, and Hughes each had significant placing and time standard gains while all seven skaters had personal best times in nearly every event they skated, including the 400m, 800m, 1000m and 1500m.

This same group of skaters will hope to follow up with more great performances at the BC Short Track Championships happening March 8 and 9 in Abbotsford.