Music: {allcanada} Canada names new long track speed skating coach

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

{allcanada} Canada names new long track speed skating coach

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OTTAWA — Long track speed skating coach Michael Crowe was announced on Monday as the new head coach of the Canadian long track team.

Crowe, who has accompanied athletes in five Olympic Games, has been a member of the Canadian long track team coaching staff since 2007 and will be in charge of planning, creating and leading the synergy of everyone involved with the Canadian team — including the athletes, coaches and support staff.

"It is quite an honour to be selected for the responsibility of leading this world-class team of coaches, skaters and staff," said Crowe. "They all are willing to put in the work and commitment to compete as one of the top three teams in the world."

"This is a team that I believe is gaining the respect of the world, and that showed its potential last season, as Canada won four medals at the world single distance championships and 15 in World Cups."

Crowe, who is from Butte, Mon., first started out as a coach with the United States team, and was at the 1984, 1988 and 2002 Olympic Games. In 2007, he moved to Canada to be part of the long track team coaching staff. He then took part in his fourth and fifth Olympic Games in 2010 and 2014.

Crowe started his career in speed skating as an athlete, and notably took part in the 1974 world sprint championships. He then joined the United States coaching staff team from 1983 to 1991 and from 1999 to 2002 before eventually making his way north of the border. He has coached athletes to 79 medals at world championships and 92 in World Cups.

Crowe was named Coach of the Year in the United States in 1988 and 2002 and in Canada in 2010.

"Our new structure, which includes a head coach leading the Canadian long track speed skating team, will be an additional advantage for our athletes and coaches, helping to make sure they reach the potential we believe they can," said Speed Skating Canada's high performance director, Brian Rahill.

"And to have somebody as experienced as Michael in the preparation of high performance athletes and the management of different training programs will definitively be a plus in achieving our objectives at the upcoming Olympic Games."

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