Former N.B. coaches proud of Moncton speed skater at Olympics

Former coaches of Courtney Sarault are among many New Brunswickers cheering her on at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

"She's probably one of the most resilient, hard-working people you could ever meet," said New Brunswick high-performance coach Derrick MacLeod.

She's "basically willing to go through a wall for her team and her country," said Peter Steele, her former provincial coach.

Sarault competed Sunday in women's 3,000-metre relay short track speed skating.

The Canadian team skated a clean race and was in contention for the duration, but ended up crossing the finish line fourth with a time of 4:04.329.

Winning gold was the team from the Netherlands, with a time of 4:03.409. Silver went to Korea and bronze to China.

Sarault still has another chance to be the first New Brunswicker to win a medal in Olympic speed skating.

Saint John's Mark Lacki won silver in the men's 5,000 m relay in 1992, but it was a demonstration sport at the time.

Sarault is expected to compete in the women's 1,500-metre event Wednesday. 

"That is her distance," MacLeod said. "So, I mean, anything is possible with her."

New Brunswick is looking for its first medal in any sport at the Winter Olympics since curler Russ Howard won gold with Team Gushue at the Turin Games in 2006, said Meaghan Donahue Wies of Sport Centre Atlantic.

MacLeod likes Sarault's chances.

"She's a good clinch performer," he said. 

Sarault was the one who "kind of surged" the relay team to victory in their semifinal Wednesday, he said, and "you could see the grin on her face" when she did so. 

MacLeod coached Sarault from 2014 to 2017.

She's always been a strong skater, he said, and her background playing hockey gave her "great agility."

He's noticed continued improvement in recent years.

"Each and every year I see her, she gets technically just a little more sound on the ice, and a little more stable on the ice, too." 

She's now able to get into a lower position, he said, for better extension and more power.

Sarault has also matured, said MacLeod, which is an asset when it comes to dealing with the pressure involved at this level of competition.

Former provincial coach Steele agreed Sarault looks "pretty comfortable in the big light of the Olympics."

She's raced well and smart in Beijing so far, Steele said, choosing "when to defend and when to accelerate away from trouble."

Steele coached Sarault on the 2015 New Brunswick Canada Games Team.

She's always "upbeat and ready to go," he said, and "focused on what is ahead."

It's an inspiring time for younger speed skaters in New Brunswick, said the high performance coach.

Besides Sarault, another speed skater from the province, Brendan Corey, is at the Olympics, competing for Australia, and a third skater, Rikki Doak, also made the Canadian national team, but is not competing at the Olympics.

"It sort of breaks away from that small-province mentality," said MacLeod, "thinking 'I can't make it because I'm not from one of the bigger areas."

It's also a very exciting time for New Brunswick speed-skating coaches.

"To see her go from a young, eager skater to a top international skater is really a thrill from a coaching view," said Steele.

"You just never know who is going to be the tough and committed one to push the ceiling."

Sarault's parents say another New Brunswick coach was instrumental to their daughter's speed skating success.

Stan Barnett was her first coach with the Codiac Cyclones. He died in September at the age of 83.

"He was so patient with her and all the kids on the ice," said Courtney's dad, Yves Sarault.

"He dedicated a lot of his time. ... He made her love the sport, for sure."