On thin ice

Calgary’s Olympic Oval faces race against time

Leyland Cecco

When Jeremy Wotherspoon laced up his skates and took to the ice, his field of vision narrowed. His world fell silent except for the deep cuts of his blades. On a good day, he would move at blistering speeds. On better days, he would travel faster than anyone else, shattering 17 world records. To race at the edge of human limits is an over-whelming sensation, he said. “It wasn’t until after I stopped that I would hear the wind for the first time or notice how hard I was breathing.” Heralded as one for the greatest speed skaters of all time, Wotherspoon set most of his world records at a single venue: Calgary’s Olympic Oval. Long track speed skaters gathered last weekend for a world cup race at the 400-met…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 31 January 2025

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