Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu

Injuries

In September 2022 he was struck by a car while cycling in Quebec City, QC, Canada. The car went through a red light and struck his front wheel, knocking him to the ground and resulting in a minor head injury that saw him take a 10-day break from training. "I was extremely, extremely lucky [not to suffer further injury]." (lequotidien.com, 12 Oct 2022) In 2011 he was affected by mononucleosis. He spent four years away from the sport due to the effects of the illness, along with other health issues including tendonitis in the knee and excessive fatigue. (zonecampus.ca, 06 Oct 2020; lapresse.ca, 18 Feb 2020; Athlete, 18 Nov 2018, 10 Nov 2017)

Reason for choosing this sport

He switched from ice hockey to speed skating. "I wasn't able to score in hockey. I was also the fastest and that was all I cared about."

Most influential person in career	Coach Gregor Jelonek, and his wife Vicki. (Athlete, 14 Nov 2019)
Hero / Idol	Canadian cyclist and speed skater Clara Hughes. (Athlete, 14 Nov 2019)

When and where did you begin this sport?

He took up the sport at age nine in Waterloo, QC, Canada. He competed in both short track and long track as a junior.

Sporting philosophy / motto	"I practise sport to suffer and push my limits." (Athlete, 18 Nov 2018)
Other sports	He represented Canada in short track at the world junior championships in 2009 and 2010. He won two silver medals at the 2010 edition of the tournament in Taipei, Chinese Taipei. (SportsDeskOnline, 30 Nov 2018; ici.radio-canada.ca, 24 Nov 2018)

www.facebook.com/antoinegbeaulieu/

Hobbies	Cycling, unicycling. (lapresse.ca, 12 Oct 2022)
Other information	OLYMPIC HOPES He made his debut at the Olympic Winter Games in 2022 in Beijing just a few months shy of his 30th birthday, and has indicated a desire to return for the 2026 Games in Milan-Cortina. His best result in Beijing was 15th in the mass start, where he felt he was not in his best form. "During the year [2021/22] I was afraid of over training, so I was conservative in preparation for the Games. That plan helped me get to Beijing, but I knew that I wasn't competing to my full potential. [For the mass start] my legs were very stiff from the 1000m the night before, and with five laps to go I knew the race was over for me. Unfortunately I would have liked to have been in the points at the end as it is my favourite race, but I was happy to make the final. It will push me on for the next four years. I've competed at the Olympics now, so I have no more pressure and nothing to prove to anyone or to myself. Now I want to see how much longer I can go at the highest level. I feel like I haven't yet reached my full potential, and I'm curious to find out. If that leads me to a medal at the next [2026] Olympics, then great. I feel like the best is yet to come." (lapresse.ca, 12 Oct 2022; ledevoir.com, 18 Jan 2022; journalexpress.ca, 19 Feb 2022; Lequotidien.com, 12 Oct 2022; journaldequebec.com, 19 Feb 2022) MASS START FAN The mass start is his favourite event because it combines elements of short track and long track speed skating. "When I was young, I was asked if I preferred long or short track, and I never knew how to respond. The mass start is like a combination of both. There is the speed skating element mixed with the strategy of short track for the attacks, a bit like we see in track cycling. There are a lot of factors to consider during the mass start and one must also follow one's instinct. I like skating in these conditions." (ledevoir.com, 18 Jan 2022; journalexpress.ca, 19 Feb 2022) BREAK AND RETURN He took a four-year break from skating between 2011 and 2015 due to over training, illness and injury, and mental health issues. He had also been subject to intimidation during his time with the national short track development programme. He switched to long track speed skating upon his return to competition in 2015. "For those who don't know, I retired at 20 years old because of abuse and intimidation in the sport I loved the most. It took four years to have the courage to work out and compete again. [My coach] told me I was faking [an asthma attack]. He literally didn't believe I was having severe respiratory distress, I was really having an asthma attack. Then I was told it was just in my head. There were all the physical symptoms, tremendous fatigue. Every effort I made at that time could knock me unconscious. The psychological part such as loss of motivation, depression, all that came afterwards. I always believed that my problems were physical, that they were simply related to asthma, over training, etc. It has been a long journey since I returned to the sport [speaking in 2022], to come back and find my bearings and realise that I had mental health issues. It helps to talk about it, it normalises things and helps me recognises my triggers and give myself the tools necessary to deal with it." (ici.radio-canada.ca, 08 Feb 2022; lapresse.ca, 11 Nov 2021; Facebook page, 02 Sep 2021; ici.radio-canada.ca, 25 Feb 2021) ASTHMA AND ANXIETY He has suffered from exertional asthma [exercise-induced asthma] and anxiety during his career, which has affected his speed skating performance. "What happens to me is anxiety before the race, hyperventilation during the race, and asthma and panic attack after the race. A really unpleasant mixture, let's say. Since working on my anxiety and talking about it, I'm

www.antoinegbeaulieu.com/

Memorable sporting achievement

Competing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (lapresse.ca, 12 Oct 2022)