March 8, 2010 issue
Skater doesn’t match past Olympic success
By Celeste Kennel-Shank Mennonite Weekly ReviewCindy Klassen did not add to her six Olympic medals for speedskating at the Vancouver Games Feb. 12-28.
Klassen
Yet Klassen — who grew up at McIvor Avenue Mennonite Brethren Church in Winnipeg, Man. — did not lose her title as Canada’s top-winning Olympian with six medals, including one gold.
However, she is now tied with Clara Hughes, a speedskater and cyclist, who earned her sixth medal at the Vancouver Games.
Klassen, 30, competed in the 1,500-, 3,000- and 5,000-meter races. She placed 21st of 36 in the 1,500, 14th of 28 in the 3,000 and 12th of 15 in 5,000.
Klassen had cut short her 2007-08 season when her sister Lisa Klassen was hospitalized after a vehicle accident in February 2008.
She then missed the 2008-09 season as she recovered from bilateral knee surgery in July 2008.
Klassen won a bronze medal at the Salt Lake City, Utah, Winter Olympics, in 2002. She won a gold medal, two silvers and two bronzes at the Turin, Italy, Games in 2006.
Despite the lower finishes in Vancouver, Klassen told reporters at the Olympics she was not sure whether she would retire. She said she was grateful to skate for a home crowd, the Associated Press reported.
“It’s just been a completely different experience and also pretty emotional just when you step onto the ice and hear the whole crowd cheering for you before you’ve even started to race,” she said. “It’s been very special here.”
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