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Olivier Jean

Canada

SportSpeed Skating
FederationIDSSCAN11503198401
NOCCanada
Born15 Mar 1984 in  Montreal
GenderMen
ResidenceMontreal, QC, CAN
Higher educationHuman Movement Studies, Physical Education - University of Quebec: Montreal, QC, CAN
OccupationAthlete
LanguagesEnglish, French
Personal Bests
EventRecordDateLocation 
Personal Bests
  Event RecordDateLocation 
    500m 36.77 21 Oct 2018 Calgary  
    1000m 1:09.73 05 Jan 2016 Calgary  
    1500m 1:46.52 06 Jan 2016 Calgary  
    5000m 6:44.13 23 Oct 2010 Calgary  
    10000m 14:00.17 24 Oct 2010 Calgary  
Main Achievements
 
Main Achievements
World Single Distances Championships
Event  
World Single Distances Championships
    Mass Start 16 Laps     1  
General Interest
General Interest
AmbitionsTo win a gold medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang and become the first athlete to claim Olympic gold in both short track and speed skating. (larevue.qc.ca, 21 Mar 2017)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Club / TeamLes Brise Glace de Lanaudiere: Netherlands  
General Interest
General Interest
HobbiesCycling. (Instagram profile, 17 Oct 2017)  
Other sportsHe won the Canadian roller speed skating sprint championships in 2006. He has also represented Canada in short track, claiming gold in the 5000m relay at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and speed skating. (SportsDeskOnline, 18 Oct 2017; winnipegfreepress.com, 22 Oct 2015; Speed Skating Canada, 01 May 2009)  
Awards and honoursHe received the 2017 Athlete Excellence award at the Quebec Speed Skating Federation [FPVQ] Gala Meritas in Canada. (fpvq.org, 28 May 2017)

He was named the 2012 Male Short Track Skater of the Year by Speed Skating Canada. (speedskating.ca, 10 Oct 2012)

He received the 2007 Rising Star Award for short track from Speed Skating Canada. (Speed Skating Canada, 01 May 2009)
 
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Name of coachJillert Anema [club], NED; Bart Schouten [national], NED  
General Interest
General Interest
InjuriesHe broke his ankle in 2015. (Athlete, 03 Dec 2015)

He sustained a concussion after falling during the 2012 World Cup event in Nagoya, Japan. (cbc.ca, 05 Dec 2012)

He suffered a serious training injury in 2007 when skates sliced through his protective guard and severed a tendon in his ankle. He required surgery and did not return to competitive skating until the World Cup team trials in September 2008. (canada.com, 18 Sep 2008)
 
NicknamesJamaicanadian [because of his affinity for Jamaican music and culture]. (NOC Media Guide, 2014)  
Other informationSWITCHING DISCIPLINES
After representing Canada in short track at World Cup events for nine years, he decided to begin competing in speed skating in 2015. "It's been really challenging. I've been hurting a lot with my left leg because we're not used to a straight left leg in the straights. We're not used to linking many straight steps together seamlessly using your body weight. The corners are pretty straightforward. That's where my strength is now, the corner." (winnipegfreepress.com, 22 Oct 2015)

TIME OFF
He skipped the beginning of the 2014/15 season to finish his kinesiology degree. (northumberlandnews.com, 06 Oct 2014)
 
Most influential person in careerDutch speed skater Bob de Jong. (Athlete, 03 Dec 2015)  
Hero / IdolKorean speed skater Lee Seung-Hoon. (larevue.qc.ca, 21 Mar 2017)  
Sporting philosophy / motto"I am just a guy wearing spandex that turns left really fast." (ONS, 05 Feb 2014)  
Social Media
Social Media
www.facebook.com/olivier.jeanlepatineur  
twitter.com/olijeanmtl  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sport"I was always interested in long track, but I did not like the time trial format. So when I heard there was going to be a mass start [event] I thought, 'That's for me'. Coming from short track, eight laps already was a long way for me but I trained in marathon skating in the Netherlands for four months, so I was confident with my level of fitness."  
When and where did you begin this sport?He began skating at age five. He switched from short track to speed skating in October 2015.  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2016/2017 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps3  
    2018 Olympic Games Mass Start 16 Laps14  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2016/2017 Stavanger Team Sprint2  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps14  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps18  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps29  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps37  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1500m41