Canadian short track speed skater Valerie Maltais. Graham Hughes/The Canadian PressThe Canadian Press
Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Que., won her qualification heat on Friday at a short-track speedskating World Cup event in Moscow to qualify for the 1,500-metre semifinals.
Maltais finished in two minutes 22.223 seconds to win the qualifier. She was also second (2:27.829) in her heat to qualify for the second 1,500-metre semifinals.
Marie-Eve Drolet of Laterriere, Que., was second (2:23.808) in her heat to qualify for the first 1,500-metre semifinals on Saturday. She then won (2:27.283) her heat for the second 1,500-metre race to qualify for Sunday's semis.
Jessica Hewitt of Kamloops, B.C., was second (1:33.286) in the 1,000-metre preliminary race and then third (1:32.192) in her heat.
In her heat for the second 1,500 metres, Hewitt was third (2:37.690) and will have to skate through the repechage semifinals on Sunday to reach the main semifinals.
Marianne St. Gelais of St. Felicien, Que., won her 500-metre heat in 44.684 seconds to move onto the quarter-finals.
She also won (1:34.985) her preliminary 1,000-metre race and then won (1:32.064) her heat to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Caroline Truchon of Chicoutimi, Que., won (45.136) her 500-metre heat to qualify for the quarter-finals. She was second (1:32.937) in preliminary 1,000-metre race and again second (1:33.894) in her heat to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Gabrielle Waddell of Red Deer, Alta., was second (44.622) in her 500-metre heat to qualify for the quarter-finals. She placed third (2:28.090) in her 1,500-metre heat, but qualified for semifinals with one of the faster times.
On the men's side, former Olympian Charles Hamelin of Ste-Julie, Que., won his preliminary 500-metre race in 41.690 seconds and then won his heat to qualify for the quarter-finals in 41.895.
In his heat for the first 1,500-metre race, Hamelin won (2:27.836) to move onto the semifinals.
Guillaume Bastille of Riviere-du-Loup, Que., was second (1:30.273) in his preliminary 1,000-metre race and then won (1:28.687) his heat to qualify for the quarter-finals. He was fifth (2:46.363) in his heat for the second 1,500-metre race, but was advanced to the semifinals after being interfered with by German skater Paul Herrmann.
Remi Beaulieu of Alma, Que., won (2:18.960) his heat for the first 1,500-metre race to qualify for the semifinals, He was fourth (2:20.750) in his heat for the second 1,500-metre race. Beaulieu will have to skate through the repechage semifinals on Sunday to reach the main semifinals.
Olivier Jean of Lachenaie, Que., was first (41.738) in his preliminary 500-metre race and then won (41.918) his heat to qualify for the quarter-finals. He won (1:29.332) his preliminary 1,000-metre race and was first (1:30.328) in his heat to move onto the quarter-finals.
Liam McFarlane of Medicine Hat, Alta., was second (42.317) in his preliminary 500-metre race and then won (42.183) his heat to qualify for the quarter-finals. He was second (1:29.332) in his preliminary 1,000-metre race and then third (1:30.314) in his heat. McFarlane qualified for the quarter-finals with one of the fastest times.
Francois-Louis Tremblay of Alma, Que., was second (2:23.975) in his heat for the first 1,500-metre race to qualify for the semifinals, and again second (2:20.521) in his heat to move onto the second 1,500-metre semifinals.
In the women's relay, Drolet, Maltais St. Gelais and Waddell skated to third place (4:16.717), behind the United States and the Netherlands, but qualified for Saturday's semifinals with one of the two fastest third place times.
Bastille, Hamelin, Jean and McFarlane represented Canada in the men's relay. In their heat, the Canadians finished first (6:57.339) ahead of the Japanese and Americans to move onto Saturday's semifinals.