CALGARY – As the speed skating world begins shifting focus on the biggest event of the season, Olympian Connor Howe has dreams of a medal – and a national record – on Canadian soil.
The second half of Howe’s season is underway, and the lightning bolt from Canmore impressively won gold in the men’s 1,500-metre and silver in team pursuit at the ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, last weekend (Jan. 19-21).
In the Canmore skater’s specialty race, Howe cruised to first place in the 1,500m at a time of 1:43.19 – 0.84 seconds in front of silver medallist Emery Lehman of the United States.
The Four Continents is a warm-up for the bigger events, such as the two final World Cups and the ISU World Speed Skating Single Distances Championships in Calgary at the Olympic Oval from Feb. 15-18.
“It’s kind of the thing we build towards and we want to be at our best then,” said Howe, a long track specialist. “It’s my priority at this point.”
A spot on the podium would be great, Howe said; however, also buzzing in the back of the mind of the 23-year-old is the 1,500m national record, which the Canmore skater nearly set in September 2023 in Calgary when he rocketed to a personal best time of 1:42.34.
For the past few years, as Canada’s undisputed 1,500m champ, Howe has tirelessly attempted to set a new record but has fallen short of the marker. However, on his home track in Calgary, known for being one of the fastest in the world, Howe will give it everything on the ice he knows extremely well.
“I still kind of have my eye on the national record in the 15’, but it's tough, it’s fast. I’ll keep trying [to go] for it,” said Howe.
The long-standing record is held by Denny Morrison, with a speedy time of 1:42.01, which the four-time Olympic medallist from British Columbia set 16 years ago in 2008 in Calgary.
In a unique circumstance, Morrison will be at the Olympic Oval that weekend when he and the other members of the 2010 Olympic gold medallist men’s pursuit team – Mathieu Giroux and Lucas Makowsky – have a banner raised in their honour.
Morrison, now retired and living in Edmonton, plans on cheering Howe all the way to the finish line in the 1,500m.
“I’ve heard people say that Connor Howe is the next Denny Morrison, which I’m flattered by (...),” said Morrison.
“Perhaps our commonality in record breaking goals, not only Canadian, but world, paradoxically stems from our ability not to focus on race outcomes. What I did, and what I see Connor doing, is to instead harness an attitude of deliberate practice, which leads to the ability to consistently execute great races.”
Morrison highlighted Howe breaking out on the international scene starting at the Beijing 2022 Games when the then 21-year-old finished fifth in the 1,500m. Later that year, Howe won gold at a World Cup in the Netherlands, besting Olympic champ and home country hero Kjeld Nuis in the process.
“Beating the best Dutch skaters in the world on their home ice … is a big deal,” said Morrison.
Following a slow start to the 2023-24 season, Howe said he was happy with how the racing at Four Continents went. He even tried out some new techniques to be more aerodynamic, an effective way to slice through wind resistance on straightaways.
With the right tools in place and the speed that rivals Canada’s fastest, many eyes will be the rising star at the World Championships.
“I selfishly hope that Connor gets the record during that competition so that I can cheer him on,” said Morrison.
