David La Rue

Injuries

He was sidelined with a back injury in the first part of the 2021/22 season. He was also affected by back pain ahead of the 2023/24 World Cup season. (rds.ca, 07 Nov 2023; speedskating.ca, 03 May 2023) In February 2020 he tore tendons in his groin and hip adductor muscles at the 2020 World Sprint Championships in Hamar, Norway. He was unable to skate for six months. (lapress.ca, 20 Sep 2020; Instagram profile, 29 Feb 2020; speedskating.ca, 29 Feb 2020) In 2018 he had two bouts of illness. (lapresse.ca, 22 Oct 2019) He suffered a herniated disc in September 2016. The injury stopped him from skating for two months. (Athlete, 18 Nov 2018, 10 Nov 2017)

Reason for choosing this sport

"After the 2010 Olympic Winter Games [in Vancouver], I was inspired by the speed skating athletes and I wanted to give it a try. I love the speed."

Most influential person in career	His parents. (Athlete, 14 Nov 2019)
Hero / Idol	US speed skater Shani Davis. (Athlete, 14 Nov 2019)

Name of coach	Gregor Jelonek [national], CAN; Muncef Ouardi, CAN
When and where did you begin this sport?	He took up short track in 2010 in Montreal, QC, Canada, and switched to long track speed skating in 2017.

Sporting philosophy / motto	"Limits are made to be broken." (Athlete, 14 Nov 2019)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold in the mass start and silver in the 1500m at the 2018 World Junior Championships in Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America, and winning his first World Cup medal [bronze] in the team sprint event in 2019 in Minsk, Belarus. (Athlete, 20 Feb 2023, 14 Nov 2019)

www.facebook.com/david.larue.7

Other sports	He has competed in short track and roller speed skating at regional level in Canada. (passionpvss.blogspot.com, 22 May 2018; shorttrackonline.info, 18 Dec 2016; saint-lambert.ca, 31 Dec 2013)
Awards and honours	In 2013 he received the Lambertois Award in the sports category in Saint-Lambert, QC, Canada, in recognition of his achievements in short track. (saint-lambert.ca, 31 Dec 2013)

twitter.com/david_la_rue

Other information	NEW PERSPECTIVE Following injury problems and having to give up on his goal of competing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, he says he gained a new perspective on the sport after spending time focused on his university studies. "From that point on, I went to school full-time and wasted no time lamenting the situation. And in the end, it allowed me to advance my university extremely quickly by studying full-time in the winter and summer. My perspective on life and sport has changed enormously in recent years and this means that I am much more serene with the course of my life. Before, I felt a little empty doing only sport. I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform, but now I do sport because I love it. I would be able to quit and it wouldn't be the end of the world for me since I have other interests. It makes me appreciate the moments I experience in my sport much more." (rds.ca, 07 Nov 2023) FURTHER EDUCATION After completing a diploma in health science at the College of Maisonneuve, in 2019 he began studying for a bachelor's degree in finance at McGill University and then Laval University in Quebec, Canada. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jul 2023; Athlete, 20 Feb 2023, 14 Nov 2019)
Hobbies	Reading books and the news, outdoor activities. (Athlete, 20 Feb 2023)