Denny Morrison Website

By Kristina Rutherford, CTVOlympics.ca Posted Saturday, January 23, 2010 3:10 PM ET

Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

Canadian long track speed skaters swept two podiums and Denny Morrison added a pair of gold medals as part of a nine-medal day for Canada at a Continental Cup on Saturday at the Calgary Olympic Oval.  

Morrison edged American Trevor Marsicano in the 500 metre race and added his second gold of the day in the men's 5000m.

Mathieu Giroux of Montreal, Que., won bronze in the 500m.

The Continental Cup is a regional qualifier for the World All Round Championships, which take place after the Olympic Games. The field featured mostly Canadians and Americans, with a couple entries from Australia and New Zealand.

Marsicano, who burst onto the international speed skating scene last year as a 19-year-old, is the reigning 1000-metre world champion and is expected to be a contender for gold in Vancouver. The American also picked up a bronze medal in the 5000m on Saturday. 

On the women's side, it was all Canada as Christine Nesbitt led a podium sweep in the 500 metres along with Kristina Groves of Ottawa in second, and Winnipeg's Brittany Schussler in third.  

Ottawa's Groves won her second of the day to lead the second sweep, taking gold in the 3000m followed by six-time Olympic medallist Cindy Klassen and five-time Olympic medallist Clara Hughes, both of Winnipeg.

The competition continues on Sunday with the men's and women's 1500m, women's 5000 and men's 10,000.