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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
The Arctic Winter Games were started to give athletes from the North more opportunity to compete at an international-level event but a select group of participants are being left out of the 2016 Games.

NWT's Madison Pilling skates in a speedskating heat at the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. Pilling said she was shocked to hear speed skating will be cut from the 2016 Games in Greenland. - NNSL file photo

Speedskating will not be included in the program and skaters from Fort Simpson say they’re unhappy with the development.

"It's disappointing because I was thinking of competing," said 10-year-old speedskater Sage Fabre-Dimsdale. "I thought it would be fun to race people from way more different communities."

The sport has been removed for the year due to the lack of an ice arena in Nuuk, Greenland, where the Games will be held. Curling, dogsledding and figure skating have also been taken off the program.

It's unfortunate because it leaves skaters from the North with even fewer chances to compete at a higher level, said Val Gendron, Fort Simpson coach, adding Northern speedskaters don’t see much competition outside of the NWT championships.

"When they only skate at the NWT champs, they compete against the same kids they skate against every year. At least with the Arctic Winter Games they get to skate against different kids," she said.

The decision will potentially affect about six skaters from the village, Gendron said.

It’s a disadvantage for athletes such as Fabre-Dimsdale, who will be eligible to compete for the first time in the 2014 Arctic Winter Games in Fairbanks, Alaska, she said.

"It's going to affect Sage because you see when he tries out the first time he’ll be at the bottom of the age group so his chance of making the Alaska team is not very good," said Gendron, adding he would have been in a better position to make the team in 2016.

Speedskater Madison Pilling, who has competed in the Games twice, said she was shocked to hear the sport was taken off the program for the year. Pilling remembers looking forward to being part of the competition, which she said was always an exciting experience.

"It really gives the skaters something to work towards because if they’re just going to practice it really doesn’t give them kind of the drive to keep going so it is really important to have those kind of competitions," Pilling said. "It's really good for the younger skaters."

For Pilling the games were an eye opener. She said they made her realize that she wanted to take her skating further. Pilling is currently training in British Columbia with the Prince George Blizzards skating club. She will not be eligible for the 2016 competition.

“(The Arctic Winter Games) really opened up my eyes to see what competitions can be and what a team is about. It’s not just about the skating, it’s about what it’s like to be on a team and make your personal goals and really just develop you all around,” she said.

Great opportunity

Gendron said the competition is a great opportunity for kids to develop their skills and experience different coaching techniques. The plan is to bring speedskating back at the following Arctic Winter Games and Gendron said she hopes that won’t change.

“My fear is that then they won’t bring it back … because really the speedskating teams are Nunavut, NWT, Alaska, Northern Alberta. That’s only four jurisdictions.”

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