Denny Morrison Website

Morrison takes a silver medal at World Cup in Salt Lake City

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:10:00 +0000

Date posted: 01/21/2012 by speedskating.ca

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Denny Morrison of Fort St. John, B.C., won his third medal this season taking the silver in the 1,000 metres in one minute and 7.39 seconds at Essent ISU World Cup (sprint) in Salt Lake City. The 500-metre and 1,000-metre races will be repeated on Sunday.

“Good races, so I was happy with them,” said Morrison. “In each I made little mistakes but I still went really fast. And so I’m happy about that. I look forward to not making mistakes tomorrow and going faster.”

MP3 Audio from Morrison

Shani Davis of the USA took gold in the 1,000 metres (1:07.20), just 0.19 seconds ahead of Morrison. Stefan Groothuis of the Netherlands was third, and Edmonton’s Jamie Gregg was sixth (1:07.92). In division B, Philippe Riopel of Lachenaie, Que., was ninth (1:09.58 ), while Lucas Makowsky of Regina, was 13th (1:09.84). Kyle Parrott of Minnedosa, Man., was disqualified from the race.

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Solid start of season for Denny Morrison

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Solid start of season for Denny Morrison

With several podium finishes at the first World Cups of the season, Denny Morrison gave a good start to the 2011-2012 season. Where the post-Olympic season was disappointing for him due to an admitted lack of training, and as such served as a wake up call, this season was preceded by a good summer, jam-packed with motivated training, which has translated into solid results on the ice so far. With these promising results under his belt, Morrison reflects on the first half of the season and looks forward to what is still to come.

By Jolanda Abbes, www.speedskating-online.com

Last season was not Denny Morrison’s best season. Even though he acknowledges that there had been a serious lack of training during the 2010 summer, he also admits to the fact that it was a frustrating season for him, in which he did manage an occasional podium finish at the Word Cups, but at the World Single Distances Championships in Inzell in March he finished 6th and 5th in respectively the 1500m and 1000m, which are usually considered to be his signature distances: “My last season was a wash. I wasn't motivated to train following the Olympics, and was enjoying a physical and mental break from speed skating. I never started speed skating specific training until July, and even then it was intermittent with no commitment, as I would take time off whenever I felt like it. I never stepped back on the ice until late-August. All in all, last season served as a wake up call that I do need to train in the summer if I want to do well. Even with the lack of training, I was still frustrated with my results most of the season and especially at WSD because the field of competitors wasn't as strong as it has been in the past and I think I should have been able to place better, even given the circumstances. My results last season are fresh motivation for the upcoming seasons though. I'm excited to train again!”

This regained motivation resulted in a very different past summer for Morrison, compared to the summer before: “Unlike last summer, when I wished the skating season would never start again, this post season I spent twelve days in different parts of Europe, had my mental and physical break from speed skating, and by the end of March I already felt excited to get back to training, though we never started until the second week of May. Our group has done what, for many skaters in the group, has been an unprecedented amount of cycling in the summer.”

Photo credits: Erik Pasman

And so far all this hard training seems to be paying off, even though Morrison feels he may still not be as fit as some other years. At the first World Cup of the season, in Chelyabinsk, he finished 3rd in the 1000m and 5th in the 1500m, and a week later, in Astana, he added a 5th place in the 1000m and a silver medal in the 1500m. And finally, at the third World Cup, in Heerenveen, he finished 6th in the 1000m and 5th in the 1500m. Contrary to last season, when Morrison’s results at the Fall World Cups varied from a podium finish to 14th and 16th place finishes, his results seem to have become more consistent again. Morrison reflects: “This season the top 5 or so guys seem closer packed than sometimes in the past. Physically I'm stronger but still maybe not as fit as some other years, and I still have some technical adjustments to make which should improve my times.”

Photo of the Week: A Svindal-Morrison Movember mustache mashup

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:20:00 +0000

Photo of the Week: A Svindal-Morrison Movember mustache mashup

By Matt Stroup, Universal Sports

Aksel Lund Svindal (left) and Denny Morrison don their respective Fu Manchus for Movember.

Since Wednesday is the final day of November (and therefore the final day of Movember), we could think of no better option for our Photo of the Week than a Movember mustache mashup.

Related to this articleFeatured SlideshowsThe week's most amusing (Nov. 30) A look back at the most entertaining photos of the week.

As you can see, both individuals in this photo (Norwegian Alpine skier Aksel Lund Svindal, left, and Canadian speed skater Denny Morrison) have opted to go the Fu Manchu route, which is certainly an excellent option if you're capable of executing it.

(And yes, in case you couldn't tell, that last sentence was heavily laden with jealousy over our own failed attempts to don a Fu Manchu over the years.)

And before our own mustache-related regret grows too intensely out of control, we're going to recommend that you take this opportunity to check out our complete gallery of all the week's most amusing photos, where you'll find wizards guarding the podium at a speed skating World Cup, a figure skater who can safely be considered armed and dangerous and, believe it or not, bikini-clad spectators at a rugby match in late November.

Denny Morrison wins silver medal in 1,500 metres at World Cup in Kazakhstan

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Audio (MP3): Denny Morrison

OTTAWA – In the third last pairing of today’s final race at the long track speed skating Essent ISU World Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan, Denny Morrison of Fort St. John, B.C., gave Canada its only medal of the day with a silver in the 1,500 metres (1:45.80). He was only 0.11 seconds behind gold medallist Wouter Olde Heuvel of the Netherlands, and 0.16 seconds ahead of Havard Bokko of Norway. (ISU results website)

“Like anything, you always want better than you get in speed skating,” said Morrison. “You’re always trying to improve. To be one tenth off the track record and the win is motivating. I’m still happy with the second place. Overall, pretty good race – nice and smooth.”

............

After today’s races, Canada has won two gold medals, two silvers and a bronze in this season’s long track World Cup circuit.

The World Cup continues Saturday with the second men’s and women’s 500-metre race, and the women’s 1,500 metres and men’s 5,000 metres.

With Morrison’s medal, the World Cup Podium Tracker by Intact Insurance is up to $18,000 (nine gold medals, seven silver and two bronze). Intact Insurance will award $1,000 in cash and prizes to a local speed skating club with each individual medal win. Last season, Intact Insurance awarded more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.

To read the full article, visit speedskating canada

1.500m World Cup Astana, 1. Wouter Olde Heuvel (NED) 2. Denny Morrison (CAN) 3. Havard Bokko (NOR)

Grilling with the greats: Denny Morrison

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:42:00 +0000

By Jan Zeschky, The Province- June 8, 2011

'If I’ve been on the road for several weeks, I can’t wait to have any homemade food. But particularly homemade hamburgers – that’s one of my favourite meals,” says Denny Morrison, who shares his homemade burger recipe. Photograph by: Harry E. Walker, MCT

Long-track speed skater Denny Morrison first pulled on a pair of skates at just three years of age. Since then, the Fort St. John native has gone on to a remarkable career that reached a new peak last year in Vancouver with an Olympic gold medal in the men’s team pursuit. A former world champion and record holder in the 1,500-metres discipline, Morrison, now 25, also competes in the 500-m, 1,000-m and 5,000-m long track.

Morrison is waxing lyrical about one of his passions.

“It’s sort of like riding a bike, you can’t do it with training wheels all the time. You’ve got to just ride the bike. You can’t be afraid to crash once in a while, you’ve got to learn along the way. It’s all experience, you know? It’s all about feel. One day you’re going to catch on and you’re just going to know. It feels right.”

You’d be forgiven for thinking Morrison is talking about his lifelong love, skating.

But no, this almost mystical spiel is all about the trials of working the grill, an activity Morrison loves when the warmer months roll around.

“When you’re training as much as we do, it’s a fine way to relax and enjoy being at home. Grilling on a hot sunny day is always a nice thing to do,” says Morrison, who currently lives and trains in Calgary.

“It’s a great way to get some friends together. . . There’s nothing like the smell of barbecue, you know?”

Morrison often ceded cooking duties to his foodie brother, fellow speed skater Jay, when they lived together, but found grilling was a way to give his elder sibling an evening off. He’s since refined his technique but his grill favourite, burgers, hasn’t changed.

“If I’ve been on the road for several weeks, I can’t wait to have any homemade food. But particularly homemade hamburgers – that’s one of my favourite meals,” says Morrison.

But any red meat is good for recovering from training, particularly the intense workouts in the summer months – and that’s just fine by Morrison.

“There are benefits to doing ridiculous amounts of training during the summer time,” admits Morrison, whose annual regime allows just a six-to-eight week break in the spring, when “I’ll have the extra hamburger . . . maybe put the extra stick of butter on my steak.”

“We do tons of volume, hours and hours on the bike in July and August, and those are the best times for barbecuing . . . and you know,” he adds slyly, “you need to refuel your body somehow. Got to get the calories in one way or another.”

THE MORRISON BURGER

Morrison advises using lean or extra lean beef as fattier meat can drip, causing flames, which can burn the meat. Also, avoid barbecue sauce as the sugars in these can also burn.

When making the patty, make the centre thinner than the edges as the centre will always expand more when cooking.

“I’ve done a lot of experimenting with hamburgers,” admits Morrison. Even though he cooks a lot “by feel,” the Olympian compiled the following recipe, which makes eight of his signature burgers.

For the patties:

1 lb. of lean or extra lean ground beef

3 handfuls of quick oats

1 egg

1 “sploosh” of milk

1 tsp. minced garlic

3-5 mushrooms, finely diced

1-2 jalapeño chilis, finely diced

6-9 splashes Worcestershire sauce

2-5 splashes hot sauce

1 tsp. each ground cayenne, oregano and thyme ½ tsp. each basil and sage

1 Tbsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

8 bread rolls of your choice

8 slices of cheese of your choice

1 large white onion, cut into rings

2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into slices

2 ripe avocados

Ketchup, mustard and relish

Head of romaine lettuce

Mix well all ingredients for the patties. Separate into 8 round patties.

Grill at 375-450 F (or medium-high) for about 6 minutes. Flip and grill opposite side for about 6 minutes Flip again and add slice of cheese per patty. Move all burgers to side of grill, but keep a burner on maximum and close lid for 6 mins. Remove from grill.

Decorate bottom of halved bread roll first: Add 1 layer of relish, then 4-6 rings of onion and 3-4 strips of thinly sliced avocado.

Place patty onto bottom bun, cheese side down. Top with ketchup and mustard smiley faces, one 1/8-in. slice of tomato, and 3-6 leaves of lettuce.

Place top of bun gently onto lettuce stack, being careful not to spoil burger via tippage. Place palm of hand firmly on top of burger and in a smooth, gentle, but forceful motion, compress burger to half original height. Serve.

Denny Morrison about the first Olympic Heroes Tour

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:24:00 +0000

For www.denny-morrison.com , 20th April 2011 By Naomi Schläger

With the 2010 Olympics over for more than a year now, media attention has shifted from winter sports to summer sports as the 2012 London Olympic Games are the next stop on the Olympic calendar. However, not in Canada! With the 2010 Olympics held in their backyards, Canadians have never shown more passion for athletes and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has harnessed this momentum with their Hall of Fame celebration. COC has chosen the city of Moncton, N.B. as the host for their signature annual event and celebration where the Olympic family gathers again for the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Gala Dinner & Induction Ceremony. As a built up for this Hall of Fame Gala, COC has introduced the Canadian Olympic Heroes Tour. Denny Morrison was invited to join this year’s Heroes Tour across the Atlantic Provinces.

View Larger Map

The goal of the the Olympic Heroes Tour was to rekindle the spirit felt in the communities during the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and the tour has visited Halifax (N.S), St. John’s (NFLD), Charlottetown and Summerside, (P.E.I) and finished of with the Hall of Fame Gala in Moncton(N.B.). The tour consisted of a series of community events along the way to celebrate not only the Candian Olympic Movement, but also national heroes,local heroes and the unspoken heroes within us. This first-ever Olympic Heroes Tour featured seven Olympic medallists and two Paralympians who spread the Olympic spirit and inspired personal excellence trough Atlantic Canada. The group of Olympians included rower Adam Kreek (gold), Short track speed skater Tania Vicent (two silver, two bronze) bobsledders Kaillie Humhries (gold), Heather Moyse (gold), David Bissett (bronze) and Chris Le Bihan (bronze) and Long track speed skater Denny Morrison (gold, silver).

Triggered by his reports on twitter about the #heroestour, I was curious to know more about the tour and how Denny experienced this. Alarming tweets about lost gold medals and the pictures about the tour brought up these questions:

You were involved in CDN Olympic Team's Heroes Tour,can you tell us what the goal of the tour is and what it is means for you personally?

This is the first year the Heroes Tour has taken place. Every year the COC has an Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala, where many Sponsors buy tables in support of the COC and several Canadian Olympians gather to celebrate these peoples' achievements and play host to each sponsor's table. The heroes tour was developed as a way to bring some of these Canadian Olympians out early to the general area in Canada where the Gala is to be held and through visits to various local public organizations. We shared our Olympic stories with the goal of instilling a sense of connection with the nearby communities, inspire the kids, share the power of sport, and also bring about awareness of the Olympic Movement through the upcoming event.

How did you get involved in the Heroes tour and what is expected of you?

The Canada Olympic Committee organizes both the Hall of Fame Gala, as well as choosing various athletes to take part in the preceding Heroes Tour. This year there were 9 athletes, myself included, who travelled all over Atlantic Canada. Among the stops we made, were Children's Hospital Visits, School, Military, and City Hall visits, as well as some mass scale community organized events.

Denny Morrison enjoying breakfast with the Canadian Military and Rear Admiral Gardam.

What was the most memorable moment of the Heroes Tour for you personally?

One of the most amazing stops on the Heroes Tour was one of these mass community events in Moncton, where 5000 school kids packed into the local hockey stadium to hear us speak. The energy in the room was unbelievable. Reminded me of the cheering during our team pursuit final at the Olympics, albeit, slightly more ear piercing high pitched screams overall. The Arkells, a Canadian band from Hamilton, played a few sets during the event which made it a lot of fun as well.

Stadium full of kids waiting in Moncton

Which question do people ask you most frequently?

For me specifically, people are often curious how I got into speed skating to begin with. It was refreshing traveling with athletes from other sports and to hear some of the questions they are frequently asked. Upon meeting me, especially at appearances such as these where they know they are coming to meet Olympians, I have my medal with me and everyone is always surprised with how heavy it is.

Autograph session with students of St. John's (NFLD)

And what is the most common remark people make on meeting you?

The most common remark that I hear, is that I don't look as big in person as on TV, or my legs don't look like big speed skater legs. I usually reply with, "that's because I'm notin a skin suit right now".

Front page of Moncton's local newspaper

Together with other (para) olympians you’ve toured around the Atlantic Provinces, where speed skating is not as common as in Calgary, do you think you can tribute to changing that?

My goal is to encourage & inspire kids to get involved in sport in general. That said, the Canada Games were just held in Halifax this past winter, where a new outdoor oval with artificial ice was built for it, and I've heard nothing but good things about the development of the club there. I even met a few aspiring speed skaters from the area who've only been in the sport a number of months.

Now this year’s Heroes Tour is over, what other activities do you have planned for your summer?

I'm answering these questions on an airplane on my way to Palm Springs, CA right now. Spending some time in the sun and doing a bit of mountain biking in California is what I consider my last period of rest before attacking the upcoming training season.

Give it up for Earth Day 2011!

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:06:00 +0000

Read more about who's giving what up for Earth Day 2011 by Earth Day Canada, visit the website

Denny Morrison

Long-track speed skater and two-time Olympic medalist; Gold (Vancouver ‘10) and Silver (Torino ‘06).

“I think giving up TV will actually help me to also accomplish my other Earth Day goal of not buying anything this month. TV is full of useless advertisements which automatically make you want to be a consumer. Join me in giving up TV and buying nothing new for the month and you might be surprised the personal benefits you gain, in addition to helping the Earth!”

Website: www.denny-morrison.com

Photo courtesy Denny Morrison

Morrison Named Community Champion by Sport BC

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 11:45:00 +0000

Saturday, February 19, 2011 03:59 AM by 250 Sports

Ft. St. John, B.C.- Gold medal speed skater, Denny Morrison has been named the recipient of the Sport BC Community Champion Award.

Morrision is being recognized for his "significant commitment to sport and community building."

As a world-class long-track speed skater, Denny has competed in many international championships, including the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino. Denny won the Olympic gold medal for Team Pursuit in 2010, and currently holds the track record at four different ovals around the globe.

Off the rink, Denny is an ambassador for KidSport and ActNow BC and makes many appearances in BC and Alberta in support of sport and healthy living. He is constantly involved in his hometown of Fort St. John, where he visits schools and meets with the local clubs to promote sport. In the summer of 2010, Denny coached at a speed skating camp for young athletes from all over BC, where he helped participants improve their skills and inspired them to do their best. Denny has also donated many personal items for auction to raise funds for local charities.

“With his continued contributions both on and off the ice, Denny has helped lay the groundwork for the next

generation of BC athletes,” said Tim Gayda, President and CEO of Sport BC. ”Like those honoured before him, he receives this award for his tireless efforts as a true champion of sport and community building.”

Denny will receive the award at Sport BC’s 45th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards on February 24.

Morrison is Back!

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:05:00 +0000

Morrison’s Back!

By Speedskating Canada- Date posted: 01/30/2011

Denny Morrison (Fort St. John, BC) demonstrated he’s back in fine form, adding yet another medal to his collection. Morrison skated to silver in the men’s 1000m event in a time of 1:09.57; adding to his 1500m silver medal from Friday’s racing. Bart Schouten explained “We have a really good race plan for him, and it really seems to work. He’s getting better technically and stronger every week; he’s really on the right track – the coaches are very pleased with his progress. He’s working very cleverly – he brings a lot of good analytical qualities as a skater.”

All the Canadian men were top-fifteen in the 1000m event; Philippe Riopel (Lachenaie, QC) earned himself ninth place in 1:10.18 – his first top ten in World Cup racing, Jamie Gregg (Edmonton, AB) just missed top ten with eleventh place in 1:10.28 and Richard MacLennan (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) skated to 13th in 1:10.40.

The Netherlands’ Stefan Groothuis won the event in 1:08.82; Norway’s Mikael Flygind-Larsen took bronze in a time of 1:09.65.

In Group B, Tyler Derraugh (Winnipeg, MB) capped off his weekend with a fifth place finish in the 1000m event with a time of 1:10.90.

Team Canada’s Men’s Pursuit Team consisting of Riopel, Morrison, and Lucas Makowsky (Regina, SK) were two one-hundredths of a second from the bronze medal in their event, clocking a time of 3:47.17. “Phil (Riopel) doesn’t have a lot of experience in the pursuit event and he did a great job today, Lucas was still feeling jetlagged, and of course Denny has been skating hard all weekend, so overall we were very happy with their team result today,” concluded Schouten.

The event was won by Team Russia in a time of 3:43.71, silver went to Norway in 3:46.68, and Team Germany skated to bronze in 3:47.15.

Next up for Team Canada’s speed skaters are the World All-Round Championships, February 12 to 13th in Calgary, Alberta.

Denny Morrison among Canadians to hit podium at World Cup speed skating stop

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 04:34:00 +0000

By Gary Kingston, Vancouver Sun January 28, 2011 2:05 PM

Denny Morrison on the Podium at Moscow World Cup

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:38:00 +0000

Date posted: 01/28/2011by Speed Skating Canada

...

Denny Morrison skated a strong 1500m race, finishing in 1:46.25 to capture the silver medal. Gold went to Ivan Skobrev of Russia (1:45.49) and Mark Tuitert of the Netherlands managed to win the bronze medal in 1:46.59. This is a second individual podium finish this season for Morrison, who won a bronze medal in the 1000m at the last World Cup this Fall.

“My race went pretty good, but there is still a lot of room for improvement,” thought Morrison afterwards during a teleconference. “It’s nice to be on the podium though. I know my fitness still isn’t where it should be, and my last lap wasn’t as strong as it could have been, but after deciding to skip most of the summer training, I felt this season would be pretty much a write off, so being on the podium is very encouraging!”

Other Canadians in the 1500m also skated solid races, Lucas Makowsky (Regina, SK) finishing 10th in 1:48.06, Philippe Riopel (Lachenaie, QC) 13th with a time of 1:48.55 and Justin Warsylewicz (Regina, SK) took the 20th place (1:51.96).

...

Tale of the tape soothes Morrison

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Fort St. John native finds new motivation after Olympic heartbreak nearly ended his career

By Gary Kingston, Vancouver Sun January 7, 2011

Denny Morrison of Canada battles Ivan Skobrev of Russia in the men's 1,500-metre speed-skating competition at the Vancouver Winter Olympics on the Richmond Olympic Oval. Morrison was highly disappointed with his ninth place finish in the race.Photograph by: John Mahoney, Postmedia News, Vancouver Sun

Ten months after the result and the aftermath that "ruined" his Olympic experience and had him contemplating quitting his sport, long-track speed skater Denny Morrison finally sat down last week and watched video of his 1,500-metre race.

It was a revelation. Sure, the 2008 world champion at that distance had finished just ninth on the Richmond Olympic Oval ice. But he wasn't nearly as bad as he had believed.

"I thought it might get emotional and I'd start crying for having such a shitty race," the 25-year-old Fort St. John product said this week from Calgary, where he won the 1,500 metres Thursday at the Canadian single-distance championships. "But I looked good for 1,100 metres, 1,200 metres.

"It was almost relieving. With all the media stuff I did this summer, the sponsor functions and speaking engagements talking about the Olympic experience, I kept repeating how bad my 1,500 was and that I didn't know why. I was expecting to see this horrible race and I wasn't nearly as bad as I told everyone. A few 10ths faster and I could have been fourth or fifth."

The ninth-place finish came three days after he was 14th in the 1,000 and he lashed out by questioning his training and suggesting he might not be able to summon his best effort for the team pursuit a week later.

Morrison was ripped in the media and later apologized for his comments. But he suddenly went from feeling like the "whole country was behind me, supporting me [to] it made me feel as if everyone was mad at me."

He still had a terrible attitude by the time the pursuit quarter-finals began, feeling that if Canada lost it would "probably be my last speed-skating race ever."

But on the start line, his competitive juices kicked in. Morrison, Lucas Makowsky and Mathieu Giroux would go on to win gold, beating the U.S. in the final.

"It was a testament to how well the coaches had prepared us. The autopilot light went on and we skated perfectly."

Still, after the "roller-coaster ride in the media," Morrison left Vancouver thinking there was only a 10 per cent chance he would stay in the sport for the Sochi 2014 Olympics. He was worn out and disillusioned.

He barely did any kind of training over the next few months before spending four days at the Burnaby Velodrome in June as a special guest of the national men's track cycling team. He got his ass kicked, he says, but it got him excited about competing again.

"It was a bit of a different perspective. It was like I was 18 or 19 again, where I felt like I could always improve and there was no end to the horizon.

"In April and May when I'm still a little bit fit, I'll take that to the track and see how I do, how much I can improve."

He calls the cycling "crazy fun" and admits he is intrigued about the possibility of trying to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

As for speed skating, given his lack of fitness and the fact he was tweaking technique, he got off to a slow start on the World Cup circuit in the fall with just one podium -- a bronze -- in nine individual races.

"It was sort of nice to have lower expectations than usual," said Morrison.

"I'm really working on technique and consistent skating. Sometimes, I hit it and I get those bronze medals. It just clicks, even if I don't know what it is."

Morrison says he's now 90 per cent sure he'll continue skating through 2014. His biggest challenge will be motivation.

"It's weird, in my old age now, it seems harder to come by."

But as he prepares for the ISU world sprint championships later this month in Heerenveen, Netherlands, and the ISU world allround championships in Calgary in February, Morrison is certain of one thing.

"It seems like no competition is ever going to be as important as the Olympics in your home country, but when I go to the start line, I'm a competitive guy and I'll give it my all. And that's when it hits me, that I still love this sport."

AT THE LINE: Morrison was timed in one minute 44.80 seconds on Thursday, to finish .21 seconds ahead of Makowsky. ... Olympic gold medallist Christine Nesbitt of London, Ont., who has won every World Cup race at 1,000 and 1,500 metres this season, won the women's 3,000 in a personal best time of 4:03.49, nearly four seconds ahead of Brittany Schussler of Winnipeg.

gkingston@vancouversun.com

Denny Morrison starting to get his mojo back

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 04:11:00 +0000

Thursday, January 6, 2011 By Terry Bell, The Province

Fort St. John speed skater Denny Morrison won the men’s 1,500 metres Thursday morning at the 2011 Canadian Single Distance Championships at the Olympic Oval in Calgary. Photographed by:

--, MCT File Photo

Slowly, but surely Denny Morrison is starting to get his mojo back.

On Thursday morning, the Fort St. John speed skater won the men’s 1,500 metres at the 2011 Canadian Single Distance Championships at the Olympic Oval in Calgary. Earlier this week he was talking about training hard and looking forward to improved results in the second half of a 2010-11 season that’s got off to a shaky start.

And that’s all a big improvement on the frame of mind Morrison was in 11 months ago during seven roller-coaster days at the 2010 Olympics. That was the week Morrison felt like quitting the sport he loves.

Expected to win an Olympic medal in the 1,500, he left the Richmond Olympic Oval on Feb. 20, 2010 with the weight of a ninth place finish hanging around his neck.

“People were saying things like ‘Morrison fizzled,’ and should they even let me skate in the team pursuit because I was going to let the team down,” Morrison recalled this week.

“What I found most frustrating was it was coming from people who’d never covered the sport. But it’s written so the general public sees it. I went from having all this support, from having the whole country behind me, to feeling all alone. It felt like everyone wanted me to quit the sport.”

On Feb. 26th Morrison returned to the Oval, helped Canada win a series of races and guarantee a head-to-head race for gold and silver against the U.S. a day later. Morrison, Mathieu Giroux and Lucas Makowsky returned on the 27th and won the Olympic gold.

“It’s a big part of why I’m still skating,” said Morrison when asked about the importance of the gold strike after the earlier disappointments. He’d also finished 13th in the 1,000.

“After the 1,500, what was written about me demoralized me for those (team pursuit) races. Walking into the Oval for the morning of the team pursuit, it was a pretty tough morning. It was probably the worst attitude I’ve ever had going into a race, especially a race of that magnitude.

“It was the attitude that if we had lost in the first race, that would have been my last race. I would have been done.”

But Morrison, Giroux and Makowsky did nothing but win that day.

“Going from that 1,500 to winning four races and then walking home a few hours later (Morrison bought a condo near the Oval) knowing that no matter what happens you’re going to win an Olympic medal ... that’s a pretty big change,” Morrison said.

Morrison credits his coaches and the national team support staff for helping him stay focused through the dark days. He said that once he got back on the ice his competitive nature took over and he was able to do his job.

Still, it took a while to decide whether he wanted to return for another four years. At age 20 Morrison had won a silver medal in the team pursuit at the 2006 Games in Turin. For the next four years he trained like a madman.

“I wanted to re-motivate myself (after 2010),” said Morrison of his decision to take the summer off not return to the ice until September. “After Vancouver ended, regardless of the results, it was ‘Am I ready to commit right away for another four years of doing that much training just to once again get, potentially, results that I’m not 100 per cent satisfied with?’ That was the tough question I had to ask myself.”

Morrison said he doesn’t know if that question has been completely answered. But he said that just being back on skates and feeling the ice makes him feel good.

He’s been training hard over the mid-season break, experimenting with his boots and his blades under new coaches Mike Crowe and Bart Schouten. He’s looking forward to three remaining World Cup events and world championships after one medal, a bronze in a 1,000, in nine races to start the season.

He finished sixth twice, eighth, ninth, 14th, 16th and 23rd. In Berlin he won the B Final after failing to make the A final.

“The results were all over the map,” he said.“ Japan was a pretty good example of what’s going on in my life right now.”

At Obihiro, on Dec. 11-12, he got the bronze medal in the opener but finished 14th over the same distance a day later. Morrison called that weekend a head scratcher but he’s fitter now and he’s always been a second-half guy.

“I hope so,” he said when asked if he’s in for a better second half.

“I went into the first half without much training. Since the World Cups ended I’ve been training hard, twice a day, doing the full meal deal. I still might not be as strong as the other guys but I think I’ll gain some ground.

“Next summer is going to be a different summer.”

tbell@theprovince.com

Sometimes less is more

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 08:15:00 +0000

The Canadian Press- Published On Sat Dec 11 2010

OBIHIRO, JAPAN—Discovering that sometimes less is more, Denny Morrison found his way on to a World Cup podium for the first time this season.

The long-track speedskater from Fort St. John, B.C., was third in the men’s 1,000 metres, by far his best result in a slow start to the season.

Morrison has struggled with his form since a poor individual showing at the Vancouver Olympics (13th in the 1,000, ninth in the 1,500 but gold in the team pursuit) but a simplified approach helped him take bronze.

“I took a few steps back as far as being aggressive and just tried to really skate smooth, kind of back to the basics,” he said. “I don’t know, it’s weird getting good results off not trying too hard.

“That was probably my fastest first lap in the 1,000 and it’s not necessarily the fastest track and it’s definitely not the hardest I’ve tried. It’s funny how that works in speedskating.”

Morrison finished the 2 1-2 laps around the oval in Obihiro Japan in one minute 10.39 seconds.

His former training partner, friend and Olympic champion Shani Davis of the United States won in 1:09.56, 0.24 seconds ahead of South Korea’s Lee Kyou-hyuk.

The medal was Morrison’s first in the 1,000 since a bronze just over a year ago in Calgary. Still, he was bothered about being nearly a second behind Davis.

“It’s just nice to be back on the podium but just because I’m on the podium doesn’t mean that I’m satisfied yet,” he said. “The podium isn’t the focus, it’s more about how I’m skating and stuff.”

Denny Morrison back onto the podium

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 03:38:00 +0000

By Speedskating Canada- Date posted: 12/11/2010

Denny Morrison (Fort St. John, BC) came away with the bronze medal in the 1000m, Saturday, at the World Cup long track speed skating Men’s competition presented in Obihiro, Japan. In the Women’s Competition, Shannon Rempel (Winnipeg, MB) raced her best times of the season, taking fifth place in the 1000m.

Thanks to a time of 1:10.39, Morrison won his very first individual medal of the season. American Shani Davis won the race in a time of 1:09.56, beating out silver medalist Korean Kyou-Hyuk Lee who finished in 1:09.80.

“It’s a lot of fun being on the podium but it’s not really what I’m focusing on,” Morrison explained. “What I’m most concerned about is the way I skate, and today I felt that things went quite well. I’m trying to be strong technically and tactic-wise, and it worked out well.”

Morrison is the only member of Team Canada to have taken part in every World Cup competition since the beginning of the season. “Being that it’s a post-olympic year, I didn’t train that intensely this summer, so it’s been a work in progress lately,” he explained. “We have a young, up-and-coming team this year, so it really gives a lot of energy to everyone. It’s pretty amazing to watch them skate because you can see how much potential they have. It’s neat to be a veteran like this, where I feel I’m in the position to be able to help them out. Personally, I’m still passionate about skating.”

In the group A competition, Jamie Gregg (Edmonton, AB) finished with a time of 1:10.88, good for 12th position, while Richard MacLennan (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) finished 20th with a time of 1:14.52. In the B group, Gilmore Junio (Calgary, AB) and William Dutton (Humboldt, SK) finished 7th and 13th, respectively, with times of 1:12.40 and 1:13.61.

On the women’s side, Rempel came away with her best result of the season in the 1000m, good enough for a 5th place finish. She clocked a time of 1:17.96, a result that was only nine one hundredths of a second behind the bronze medal winner, Korean Sang-Hwa Lee. Winning the gold was American Heather Richardson, thanks to a time of 1:16.45. Japanese skater Nao Kodaira won the silver in 1:17.33.

Also skating in group A, Anastasia Bucsis (Calgary, AB), finished the race in a time of 1:20.55, good for 21st overall.

The skaters will go again tomorrow (Sunday) for another round of 500m and 1000m sprints.

Canadian Men claim silver in Team Pursuit at WC Event

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 17:04:00 +0000

THE CANADIAN PRESS- 11/27/2010 1:42:37 PM

HAMAR, Norway -- Denny Morrison is drawing just as much motivation from his good results as his bad ones these days.

The speedskater from Fort St. John, B.C., took a self-described "personal mental break" from training this summer and has seen his World Cup season get off to a bit of a slow start.

His best results of the year came Saturday, when Morrison won silver as part of the men's team pursuit and finished sixth in the 1,500 metres. He was particularly pleased to stand on the podium alongside Regina natives Lucas Makowsky and Justin Warsylewicz.

"It was kind of cool," Morrison said on a conference call. "But getting poor results is also, in a way, motivating for me because it tells me that I need to do some things (in training) I don't want to. Next year I'll come back and hopefully do them a bit better. "Definitely towards 2014, I'll get stronger and stronger."

The men's pursuit team finished 1.03 seconds behind the U.S.

Morrison and Makowsky were part of the team that won gold at the Vancouver Olympics. It was the first time they were paired with Warsylewicz at a World Cup event this year.

"It's just nice to see Justin skating so well again and to know that we have another guy who can basically help us to challenge for the gold medal," said Morrison.

In the 1,500, American Trevor Marsicano beat Dutch skater Simon Kuipers in a time of 1:45.54. Kuipers trailed the Olympic silver medallist by 0.43 seconds.

U.S. two-time Olympic champion Shani Davis finished third, 0.44 seconds back. Morrison was just under a second behind Marsicano.

"I kind of like that I'm as close as I am given the lack of training," said Morrison.

One area where he's struggled is with his endurance.

"Things are still coming together a bit," said Morrison. "I just felt technically good, but the finish isn't there. I never really put as much emphasis on training this summer as I have in previous years and it's showing in the last lap of my 1,500s."

Stephanie Beckert of Germany won the women's 5,000 in 6:59.18. Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic was 4.77 seconds back, followed by Eriko Ishino of Japan in third, 7.52 seconds behind.

Winnipeg natives Brittany Schussler and Cindy Klassen finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

www.denny-morrison.com now mobile

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:20:00 +0000

The webmaster of this website is happy to inform you, that www.denny-morrison.com is now also a mobile site.

It doens't matter if you have an Iphone or Blackberry or other type of mobile, as long as you can browse the internet with it, you can now view the mobile site!

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As this is the first version, please let me know any feedback or bugs that you encounter. I hope you will enjoy this new feature for your mobile!

Morrison: "I decided I'd take on the Kristina Groves approach and just try to not care so much..."

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:33:00 +0000

Even though the Olympics in Vancouver were a disappointment for Denny Morrison in terms of his individual performances in the 1000m and 1500m and the aftermath in the media shortly thereafter, he showed some remarkable resilience when he helped Team Canada win Olympic Gold in the Team Pursuit just a few days later. But that was then, and this is now. With his 1:08.46 in the 1000m at the Fall World Cup Trials in Calgary last month, Morrison gave a good start to this post-Olympic season, and as a result he is confidently looking forward to what is to come. But not before looking back one last time. In his own words, Morrison reflects on the two days of Olympic Team Pursuit racing, that gave an otherwise clouded Olympics a gold lining after all.

By Denny Morrison, originally written for www.speedskating-online.com

My motivation to represent my country was crushed by the media a few days earlier, after I “failed” in the 1500m. I went to the line of the quarterfinal Team Pursuit race with a fairly bad attitude and the perspective that, if we lost the first round, my Olympics would finally be over. I’ve never raced in such a poor mental state before. That said, it’s a testament to how well prepared my coach and support staff actually had me. When I went to the line in the Team Pursuit, bleak outlook and all, the autopilot light flicked on and I just zoned in on accomplishing my task for the team in that quarterfinal race. I wasn’t sure what to expect in this race against Italy. This was the same team we lost to in 2006 in the finals and I didn’t want to underestimate them. With the crowd on our side, it was easy to tell we were gaining a big lead early in the race. Marcel held a lap board to show us if we were ahead or behind and by how much. At first glance, I wasn’t sure if he’d made a mistake or not! I was surprised we had developed such a lead so quickly. Exiting the turn in the last few laps of the race we were able to see Italy entering the opposite turn ahead of us, so we shut it down to save a bit of energy for the next round. Inhind sight, had we finished this race hard, I’m confident we could have set an Olympic record that would have remained standing today. I’m still happy with the outcome however.

We only had about 85 minutes between the quarter- and semifinal, and because of the Olympic record in the first round, I had to do a urine test between the races. (I could have waited until after the second round, but wouldn’t have been able to go to the bathroom at all until after that race). So it was a bit of a rush getting changed, getting warmed down, eating, hurrying through a urine test when you’re more nervous than ever, then warming up again,changing and hustling back onto the ice for round 2! It may have been a blessing in disguise however, as it kept me in the moment and didn’t give my mind any time to stray off and get distracted. Like all speed skating races,the Team Pursuit is a race requiring fast laps, but more importantly flat,consistent laps. In the first round, we decided my first pull was a bit too fast and it drained us too much at the end of the race. So the plan was for me to slow down a little. Wait a second! Slow down? In a race!? We’re about to go head-to-head with a faster team than in the quarterfinals. A team that’s leading the overall World Cup points standings right now. And I have to open slower!? But this is how speed skating works. By going a few tenths of a second slower per lap at the start of the race, we saved a few tenths at the end of the race and actually ended up with a faster time, breaking our Olympic recordfrom the quarters.

It’s a pretty interesting feeling. Finishing a day of racing, at the beginning of which you weren’t sure if it would be your last race ever, and just hours later, walking home knowing that tomorrow you will be winning an Olympic medal. Was I too motivated for my individual races? Too excited? Probably both. Questions about my individual races were still plaguing my thoughts, as they continue to do today. I decided I’d take on the Kristina Groves approach and just try to not care so much. That night, I didn’t think about the race, I didn’t visualize. I didn’t worry about what I ate or when, and I didn’t write down my race prep onto a small piece of paper to remind me where I should be doing what and when, broken down into 20 minute increments for the three hours prior to my race. I just asked the guys what time they were warming up at and met them at the oval then.

They say competing is 10% physical and 90% mental. The morning of the Gold Medal Final came and it was difficult not to get too excited. I knew we had avery good shot at beating the US. “But wait, they beat the Dutch in the semi. That’s pretty impressive. I wonder which three guys they are going to use? I wonder how fast they will open? Wait, wait, wait. None of this matters, remember!? Focus on what I have to do. Get the team up to speed, then chill in the back for a few easy laps and then just finish the race. Simple.” These thoughts went through my head about a 100 times that morning. “What should I eat for breakfast? How much? When? When should I snack, when should I ....Doesn’t matter. Just get me to the line of that race. I’m prepared. I just wanna do it!” Over and over, but always able to refocus. Even as we were on-ice, warming up as a team right before the race, an equally anxious and excited Marcel approached us to give us a bunch of last minute reminders and I eventually cut him off, grabbed his shoulders and said: “Marcel, we got this!”An abbreviated way of saying: “Marcel, you’ve done an amazing job. We couldn’t be any more prepared for this race and this moment. We are focused. We are ready. Let us handle this part of it.”

Click on photo to watch a short video of the Team Pursuit final

I remember how silent the building was as we approached the start line. The ever present silence behind the noise. It was calming. My heart rate is higher and I’m more nervous now when I watch the video of the race than I was at that moment, standing there in front of a silent room of 8000 people. The gun went,and just as I kept reminding myself, everything fell into place. I attacked the first lap slightly more than in the semi and built up a 0.7 lead on the US. The crowd was going insane. It’s the first time I’ve experienced a building louder than the Thialf. Every half lap, the roar would come down a bit as the crowd waited to react to the split times. I could feel the emotion of the crowd’s cheer change when we gained time vs lost time. Marcel’s lap board was there to remind us once per lap how we were doing, but the crowd told the story just aswell. As I exchanged leads and Lucas took over, I realized very quickly that I was already more fatigued at this point of the race than I had been in either of the races the day before. “Focus on what you’re doing!” I relaxed a bit more in the back of the pack and although I could feel the pace slowing a bit, as Giroux gave Lucas a couple of pushes down the straight away, I knew I had to save what I had for my final pull. By the time Lucas exchanged, my legs were already feeling like they had recovered some from my pull.

That was until Giroux took over and jammed a corner which almost dropped both Lucas and I. I love watching the video of this part of the race, because I believe this is where we as a team won the race. With the noise in the building, communication was impossible, so Giroux had to attack the turn as hard as he could while still having the knowledge from practicing with us so much to know how much was too much, and how much was just enough. I struggled to anticipate his attack and Lucas, who’d just finished his pull, had to put in a big effort to stay on. This is why I love watching it on video so much.Because none of us hesitate. None of us give up or fall off the back. And best of all, we all stayed perfectly in sync throughout it. The crowd’s volume reached a new peak when Giroux’s attack brought our lap times back down and we hit a lap that was 0.01 faster than the US, who was now within 0.4 of us. Of course I wasn’t aware of how close our laps were at the time, but as we skated past the two laps remaining mark the crowd’s ever increasing roar and Marcel’s ever erratic arm swinging gave a pretty good hint. I took over the lead from Giroux with just under two laps to go, and immediately felt that second wave of lactic acid burning through my legs. Again, we had prepared for this, and the plan kicked in. I broke the wind up front, giving everything I had while remaining calm and smooth and easy to follow. Lucas, Giroux and I continued to stay perfectly in sync while simultaneously dipping into our final energy reserves to push one another through to the finish of the race. We crossed the line side-by-side-by-side, winning Gold.

"My only regret from the Olympics was not climbing into the crowd with my skates on to give my parents a hug after winning Gold."

Photo credits:

Photo 1 and 2: Jeff Bough

Photo 4: Petra Abbes

Photo 5: Julie Morrison

Special thanks to www.speedskating-online.com

Grand Opening of Pomeroy Sports Centre (Enerplex) Fort St. John

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 02:56:00 +0000

On 13 and 14 October, the grand opening of Fort St. John multifunctional speed skating oval took place. The oval was renamed into Pomeroy Sports Centre and below you will find more information about the festivities that took place:

Below you can find a video from the opening

Below you can find 3 articles written for www.energeticcity.ca

Enerplex becomes Pomeroy Sport Centre

By: Adam Reaburn Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Photo: A young fan gets an autograph from Lanny MacDonald - Adam Reaburn/Energeticcity.ca

The Enerplex will now be know as the Pomeroy Sport Centre.

That announcement was made following the official ribbon cutting Wednesday evening. The Pomeroy Group has joined 9 other companies to sponsor the facility. In total the City has raised over $2.8 million dollars, that will be paid over the next 15 years through sponsorship that will be used for athletic programs in the facility.
Read more

Enerplex officially opens its doors
By: Matthew Lago Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Cutting the ribbon was Premier Gordon Campbell, Mayor Bruce Lantz and local MLA Pat Pimm, as well as other local dignataries. Also in attendance were hockey hall of famer Lanny McDonald and speed skaters Denny and Jay Morrison.
Read more

Morrison brothers race at speed skating oval
By: Matthew Lago Thursday, October 14, 2010

The speed skating oval is officially open at the Pomeroy Sport Centre and was celebrated by two of Fort St. John greatest athletes, Denny and Jay Morrison.

The Morrison brothers held the first race at the oval and were wildy cheered by the crowd. In a lighter moment, they raced against city councillors Dan Davies and Trevor Bollin, much to the delight of those in attendance. Somehow the councillors managed to fit in spandex, although some might argue that it was not a pretty sight.
While the races provided some light hearted moments for the crowd, the importance of the oval, and the facility as a whole, was not to be undermined. The appearance of Denny and Jay was an inspirtation to the young people in attendance and gives them hope to achieve the heights that the brothers have.

Jay Morrison says it always great to be back in their hometown and be an example for the city's youth.

His brother Denny added that the oval really makes Fort St. John a leader when it comes to the sport of speed skating.

While the results of the race really are not important, Dan Davies did manage to beat Trevor Bollin to earn some bragging rights in city council.
Read more

Below you can find a few pictures made by Brent Hodson

Fort St. John City Councillor Dan Davies, Jay Morrison, Denny Morrison and City Councillor Trevor Bolin

Fort St. John's Grand Opening of the Enerplex

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 03:12:00 +0000

The City of Fort St. John is gearing up for the Grand Opening of the Enerplex! The Community Services Department has been putting together a very exciting schedule of celebrations that will showcase our newest state-of-the-art recreation facility

On October 13, 2010, we will be holding the official ribbon cutting ceremony starting at 6:00pm. Come out and enjoy local entertainment, the official ribbon cutting and to top off the evening, a fireworks display signifying the Grand Opening. Denny Morrison will also be on site to sign autographs

On October 14, 2010, we are planning a community day at the Enerplex. We welcome all community members down to the Enerplex for a fun afternoon exploring the facility and enjoying the many free activities that are planned. Come watch Denny and Jay Morrison race each other on the speed skating oval at 6:00pm!

Time: 4:00pm-8:00pm

What: Free access to facility

Who: Everyone is welcome

Where: Enerplex

Featuring Hockey, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, and running. Come and try theses sports out for free with our local organizations.

Free snacks and cake

Opening Ceremonies of the Northern Vac Track

See Denny & Jay Morrison race on the oval

Please bring Skates!!

Children are required to wear full equipment when participating in hockey on community day. Helmets, pads and gloves are required.

Contact: City of fort St. John

250-787-8150

recreation@fortstjohn.ca

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