Charles could not have hoped for a better first day of competition at the Sochi Olympic Games. Race after race, he did everything just perfect and left no chance to his opponents. Reaching the highest step of the podium in front of the Chinese Han Tianyu and Russian Victor Han, he won today his first gold medal of these Games.
François has meanwhile finished second in the B final which placed him in ninth position.
CONGRATULATIONS BOYS!
Olympic village
Last weekend, the Hamelin brothers lived a moment they both dreamed about for a long time. After a stay in Budapest for a preparatory camp, Charles and François finally landed in Sochi for the Olympic adventure. The trip in Hungary was very beneficial for both brothers because it allowed them to acclimate and make adjustments before the Olympics.
After a quick jet lag adaptation, François said he was surprised to feel that good during his stay in Budapest. It usually takes him more time to adjust to foreign ices and he normally needs to do several technical adjustments to his blades. François states that the genius of François Drolet, the blade technician, allows him to fully concentrate on his performance. The young Hamelin is enthusiastic, confident and ready to be a part of the Olympic Games again.
Charles' drawing
Although he found the arena in Budapest excessively cold, Charles also had a good training camp and is very pleased with his physical condition. A few days before leaving for Russia, to help contain his excitement, Charles devoted himself to another passion of his, drawing. His teammate Jennifer Cottin who left Montreal later than the rest of the team, even brought his equipment so he can continue to draw during the Olympics. Filled with hope, Charles can’t wait to compete in the world's most prestigious sporting event and is eager to show the world what he is capable of.
Charles and François are ready to live moments that will undoubtedly be magnificent. Let’s wish them the best of luck!
Several fans had questions for Charles so we gathered some of them and here are his answers.
François was the first member of the family to start short track when he was 5. I watched what he was doing on the ice and I tried a few times when I had the occasion. I fell in love with the sport and the year after, I joined the club. Our little brother Mathieu also started at that time and my father became a volunteer. The whole family was involved; my mother was in charge of the lifts and was taking care of all the lunches for trainings and competitions.
Before being a skater, I was a baseball player. I would therefore probably continued to practice this sport.
My alimentation stays the same during competition, I eat pretty much what I want as long as it’s healthy. I often eat spaghetti with sauce that my mom made. My guilty pleasure is undoubtedly chips, I just can’t resist! Salt and vinegar is my favorite flavor.
The hardest thing for me is not seeing my family as much as I would want to. They understand my situation but I always feel bad when I can’t attend a dinner or a birthday party. I’ll do my best to catch up in the future.
Love your sport and have fun, believe in yourself and go as far as you can. It’s not always easy, there’s a lot a disappointments, but when you give your 100% and stand up after hard moments, you have more chances to achieve your dreams.
Éric Bédard. He came to the club where I was skating a couple of times, to motivate us and give us advice. Later, Éric became my teammate and mentor, he taught me everything there is to know about World cups.
I always listen to linking park before my races, it has always been my favorite band. My playlist also contains Fall out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Muse, Panic at the Disco, System of a Down, and Justin Timberlake…
Today was the last day of competition of the year for Francois and Charles. They competed one last time in Kolomna, putting an end to a remarkable pre-Olympic season.
As night approaches in Russia, Charles and François describe their second day of competition with pride and satisfaction. The two brothers gave everything today in the 5000m relay, giving their rivals no chance. François affirms that the performance he delivered today in the relay was his best of the season. "We have already won two gold medals in the relay this year, but I bring more power to the team when I skate like I did today. It gives me confidence for Sochi"
Charles, once again, dominated in all his 1000m races and hopes that the final events will be as perfect as today. "The Olympics start in two and a half months, so I have to give my 100% in the upcoming days because it will be my last practice before Sochi."
Finals of the 1500m and 500m will take place tomorrow. To send words of encouragement to Charles and François, visit their Facebook page. Charles Hamelin François Hamelin
After a magnificent week in Italy, the Hamelin brothers landed Monday, in Kolomna Russia, for the last international meet before the Olympics.
Two training sessions have passed since their arrival in Kolomna and tomorrow will begin the qualifying rounds of the final World Cup of the season. Although the start of the week in Russia was difficult for Charles, he is ready and confident for this ultimate competition in which he will compete once again, in all distances. "The first day here didn’t go well, the ice was soft, I had a problem with my blades and I felt very tired. Luckily, everything is fine now and I'm ready. My goal is to reach for the podium in the 1500m and keep up the good work on the other distances."
As for François, he gradually rose up the rankings in the 1500m since the beginning of the World Cups – 9th, 5th and 4th – and intends to continue his progression in Kolomna. "My legs are ready and I feel good. My goal is to improve my strategy and avoid tactical errors."
Thursday, the two brothers will fiercely fight against their rivals in order to nicely complete their preparation for Sochi Olympic Games.
Tomorrow will be the 1500m and 500m races.
Visit International Skating Union for schedule and results.
Charles and Francois are ecstatic after their wonderful week in Italy. The Canadian skaters dominated the 5000m relay event at Turin World Cup and completed their journey with a gold medal earned with their teammates.
Charles also proved to be the strongest of them all by winning gold in the 1000m distance. After his remarkable races, Francois had only words of admiration for his brother. "Charles did perfect today, he really was the man to beat and he impressed everyone." The younger Hamelin is also pleased and relieved to have delivered a strong performance in the relay since it confirmed his presence in Sochi. "We did everything as planned and it paid off. I am thrilled to be officially going to the Olympics! I’m in heaven right now and I couldn’t ask for more” Charles and François will have a day of rest before heading to the land of the 2014 Olympic Games for the last World Cup the season.
Charles and François both competed in the 1500m final A today at the Turin World Cup. After a nasty fall, Charles was very disappointed with his race. "I made some tactical errors and I found myself in a bad position." But Charles quickly pulled himself together and won the gold in the 500m. "This race went extremely well! In the final, I was a little more conservative at first, because I didn’t want to use all my energy. The Russian, Victor An, did as I expected but I still had the strength to accelerate and win the race"
François is absolutely thrilled by the performance he gave in the 1500m. “With our results today, Michael, Charles and I have assured 3 spots for Canada in the 1500m and 500m at the Olympic Games.” Tomorrow will be the last day of competition in Italy and the boys will have the opportunity to win the gold in the relay. Charles will also be competing in the 1000m, hoping to reach the highest step of the podium again.
Turin - The Hamelin brothers had another wonderful day today in Italy. Everything went as expected, while the boys won each of their relay races, which gave them a ticket for the quarterfinals. Charles repeated the accomplishment in the 1000m, by being the first skater crossing the finish line in all his races.
François is aware that the stakes are high but he keeps his composure and is pleased that the first relay races went well. "It was important not to make mistakes in the relay in order to reach the semifinals and to be in the top 8 because it is the maximum number of teams that will compete in Sochi." Charles is very happy that the prelims are now behind him. "The last two days were excessively long but everything went well for me because I won all my races (10). Although the ice is really soft and difficult to skate on, I am in control of the situation and I cannot wait for the finals to show the other skaters what I'm capable of!" On Saturday, the two brothers will attempt to reach the finals of the 1500m and Charles will also be competing in the 500m eight finals.
