B.C. speed skater Laura Hall upends Valérie Maltais for her first long track nationals title

Laura Hall took advantage of a weakened speed skating field Friday to capture her first career title at the Canadian long track championships.

While veteran athletes Isabelle Weidemann and Ivanie Blondin didn't compete in the women's 3,000 metres in Quebec City, the 23-year-old Hall still faced a challenge in Valérie Maltais but beat the reigning Olympic bronze medallist to the finish line in four minutes 8.282 seconds.

“Obviously, there are some girls that aren’t here that have been contenders in the past, but I’m still super happy to have been able to win,” Hall, from Salmon Arm, B.C., told Speed Skating Canada. “It’s a good way to start the weekend and hopefully I can do well in some of my other races to come.”

Maltais of La Baie, Que., was a little over a second behind in 4:09.391 in front of Sainte-Marie, Que., native Rose-Anne Grenier (4:13.948).

In the men’s 5,000, Graeme Fish posted the second-fastest time of his career at 6:23.889 to defeat Laura Hall’s brother, Daniel (6:36.800). Newcomer Jack Hanson of Fort St. John, B.C., rounded out the podium, finishing in 6:37.154.

Fish battled injuries in recent seasons and missed qualifying for the Olympics earlier this year.

“It was a good race,” said the 23-year-old from Moose Jaw, Alta. “The ice was hard, so it was slower but technique-wise, I’m improving every time I step on the ice, and that was my goal today.”

Short track star Will Dandjinou to compete in long track nationals for 'change of scenery'

Elsewhere, familiar faces Béatrice Lamarche and Laurent Dubreuil topped their respective 500m competitions, with a second race in each scheduled for Saturday.

Racing in her hometown, Lamarche clocked 37.613 for a new track record at the Quebec Ice Centre and just shy of her 37.30 personal best from last season in Salt Lake City.

Rose Laliberté-Roy of Saint-Étienne, Que., and Jenna Larter of Brookfield, P.E.I., followed in 38.402 and 38.899.

“I really wanted the track record today,” Lamarche said. “It's actually my second track record here in Quebec City. My first was outdoors on the original Gaétan-Boucher oval.

“I knew I was having a good race but it's tough to see how fast you're going. I skated a race a few weeks ago … close to the track record, so I knew it was something attainable.”

Dubreuil, who was a 500m bronze medallist in Milano Cortina, stopped the clock in 34.536 to edge Quebec City’s Antoine Roger (34.791). Olympian Anders Johnson of Fort Frances, Ont., clinched bronze in 34.836.