olympians excel in the gym as well as in sport
4 minute read
deanna stellato-dudek and maxime deschamps pose with a canadian flag and their gold medals after finishing first in the pairs free program during the isu world figure skating championships at the bell centre on march 21, 2024, in montreal.
minas panagiotakis
/
getty images
stay up to date on this topic
with the first competition of the olympic games in milano cortina, italy, scheduled for feb. 4, the next few weeks will be a showcase of the world’s best winter athletes.
don’t be fooled by the ease in which the athletes take on the biggest jumps, the steepest pitches, technically challenging runs and feisty competitors. their confidence comes from years, and often decades, spent perfecting technique, working out in the gym, cross training during the off-season, refining recovery and managing the inevitable injuries and disappointments.
but when it comes to training for a podium finish, the devil truly is in the details. here’s a snapshot of the pathway to success in select sports where canadians are favoured to do well.
pairs skating
the pairs event features a male and female duo executing synchronized, side-by-side jumps and spins along with overhead lifts and throws. they perform a short (two minutes and 40 seconds) and long program (four minutes) and are judged based on their mastery of the technical and artistic aspects of the program.
according to skate canada technical director, mike slipchuk, most skaters move to pairs after a spending their early years competing in singles. and since it often takes a few tries with different partners before the ideal fit is found, pairs duos are slightly older than the average singles skater. but even with two technically proficient skaters, it takes two to three years to mesh as a team.
canada’s deanna stellato-dudek (42) and maxime deschamps (36) are an example of a late-developing pair. stellato-dudek returned to skating in 2016 after retiring from the sport 16 years earlier. she paired with deschamps in 2019 and the duo were world champions in 2024.
stellato-dudek and deschamps fit the traditional profile of a pairs team. she’s slight in stature and build compared with his 1.78 metre (5-foot-11) height. but slipchuk says the marked height and weight difference between pair duos is changing with the only real stipulation is the male be taller than the female.
sponsored by:
aquaomega
advertisement
a pairs team typically has two on-ice training sessions a day, each lasting 45-60 minutes. they often add an additional on-ice workout perfecting their singles skills. time in the gym is equal to that spent on the ice, working on the strength and cardio needed to complete the four-minute program, which is as physically demanding as an all-out sprint, combined with the strength and control needed to perform and land a series of complicated lifts and throws. warm up and recovery lasts equally as long as a training session, especially for skaters in their 30s and 40s.
“hard work and time spent training make the difference,” slipchuk said.
luge
the fastest sport in the winter olympics, luge athletes lie on their back on a small sled while hurtling down an icy track at speeds exceeding 150 km/hr. in singles, lugers have four runs two per day over two days, with the fastest combined time declared the winner.
“it looks very smooth and easy, but the athletes are facing up to 5g (of pressure) in some corners,” said sam edney, high performance director of luge canada. “core strength is very critical, with the athlete almost in a plank position leaning the body and using their legs and hands to steer down the track.”
luge athletes are recruited in their mid-teens, with coaches looking for individuals with a multi-sport background and who aren’t afraid of travelling at breakneck speeds while managing tight turns on a sled with no brakes.
“luge is the longest learning curve of the sliding sports,” edney said. “most of the people winning medals have been doing the sport for at least 10 years.”
the start is a key component, so strength is a defining feature of a luge athlete. and since it’s a gravity-based sport, body mass is important. bigger athletes slide down the course faster. aerodynamics is also key, so a longer, streamline body is ideal for men. on the women’s side, larger hips and thighs and a smaller waist and upper body is more aerodynamically efficient.
sponsored by:
canadian society for exercise physiology
advertisement
an average training day consists of two strength training workouts lasting a combined two to four hours and three to five training runs. there’s also time devoted to perfecting their driving skills, often using video.
“equipment and driving skills make a big difference,” edney said. “anyone who is fan of formula one will be a fan of luge.”
snowboard cross
snowboard cross features four athletes racing head-to-head down a hill filled with jumps, berms and tight turns. there are several heats before the final with all five runs performed in a single day.
according to chris robanske, who competed for canada in the 2014 and 2018 olympics, races last about 60-90 seconds and demand a blend of aerobic capacity and anaerobic power.
“you need a strong aerobic base to maintain the strength and power needed to compete over the entire day,” robanske said.
the ideal recruit has flirted with all of the snowboard disciplines before choosing snowboard cross, with specialization preferable by the age of 15 or 16. traditionally, snowboard cross athletes tended to be over six feet with a sturdy build. but, lately, shorter riders have been making the podium, emphasizing the importance of the tactical aspect of the sport.
“strategy and tactics are as important as getting up to speed,” robanske said.
a typical training day consists of one to two hours in the gym and three to five hours on the hill. warm-up, video review and recovery take up the rest of the schedule.
the international field is extremely competitive with the top 40 men within 1.5 seconds of each other. and since the race features four riders who can change their tactics in a blink of an eye, snowboard cross athletes need to read the course well and react quickly.
“it’s easy for a rider to make a mistake,” robanske said. “whoever’s the best on the snowboard and can think on their toes as things change will be on the podium.”
share story
