In the figure skating competition at the Canada Winter Games today, Team BC wowed the local crowd and won four medals.
Prince George skater, Justin Hampole, was second after a personal best short program on Tuesday. He skated another clean program and earning a combined total of 91.88 points to place third for the bronze medal in the pre-novice category.
Justin said after, “I never expected to win a medal. My goal was 90 points and I achieved that and I am so happy to have won bronze. It has been a great experience.”
It was a packed house at Kin 1 when Justin took to the ice. To skate in front of a hometown crowd obviously came with some nerves. “I have never been that nervous before a skate before. But, I have been talking with a sport psychologist and he said that if you don’t have nerves you don’t care. I was really nervous so I guess I must really care.”
Justin’s teammate, Beres Clements (Gibsons) skated a strong program and finished in fourth place overall.
The pre-novice women took to the ice this afternoon. Olivia Gran of Kelowna skated a personal best in the short program and was in first place going into the free skate but struggled on her jumps in the performance. She scored a total of 94.83 which was enough for the silver medal behind Sarah-Maude Blanchard of Quebec.
In the Special Olympics Level 2 competition Matthew Lai (Richmond) earned gold and his teammate Eric Pahima (Vancouver) earned silver.
Medals for all figure skaters will be presented on Thursday evening at Kin 1.