Ontario Olympic Speed Skating begins on Saturday

Canada's future Olympians will be on display in Sault Ste. Marie as the Sault Speed Skating Club is set to host the Ontario Olympic and Mass Start Championships and North Amercian Long Track Championships.

Action begins this weekend with the Ontario Olympic and Mass Start Championships on Saturday and Sunday at the Art Jennings Oval, located at Queen Elizabeth Park beside the John Rhodes Community Centre.

With over 150 youthful skaters on display, the events will surely feature future Olympians that will be competing in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Included in the fields are a strong local contingent featuring the likes of 12 year-old skaters Chris Biocci, Richard MacLennan, Karli Lee, Emma Paat along with 15 year-old twins Sierra and Kai-lani Rutland.

Also included in the local field are 16 year-old Spencer Zettler and 17 year-old Kevin Sinclair. Several rookies from the Sault Speed Skating Club will also take part.

The exciting Mass Start competition begins on Saturday at 9 a.m. as six skaters lineup at the start.

The Olympic style competition will follow with competitors from Ottawa, Gloucester, Cambridge, Kingston, Barrie, Thunder Bay, Kitchener, Quinte, London and Manitouwadge.

On February 5th and 6th, the city will play host to the North American Long Track Championships at the Art Jennings Oval, which was the training ground for Olympian and World Champion Kevin Scott.