‘The limit does not exist’: Trio of Canadian Olympic speed skaters announce retirement | CBC Sports

Three Canadian speed skaters, Gilmore Junio, Kaylin Irvine and Marsha Hudey, retired after each representing the maple leaf for nearly a decade.

The trio of skaters were honoured for their accomplishments in the sport, and for Canada, at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Calgary on Wednesday, where their retirements became official.

Junio, a three-time Olympian who competed in his first Games in Sochi 2014, has 12 World Cup medals to his name over the course of his career, including seven in the 500-metre and five in the team sprint.

In addition to his hardware, the 32-year-old Calgary native was the recipient of the first ever Speed Skating Canada’s Athlete Impact Award given to those who positively influence those around them.

“I’m really grateful to the sport of speed skating for everything that it has given me,” Junio said.

In addition to Junio, Canadian speed skating is also losing another 32-year-old Calgarian in Kaylin Irvine, who has been on the international circuit since her World Cup debut in 2011-12.

She is the owner of two World Cup bronze medals in the team sprint, as well as a world championship silver in that distance. Irvine is a two-time Olympian, having represented Canada at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018.

“In many ways, skating has taught me that the limit does not exist,” Irvine reflected.

“I learned not to limit what I thought I was capable of, because if you love something, [and] you work towards it … You can do anything.”

32-year-old sprinter from White City, Sask., has tallied three World Cup medals in a career that began in 2013-14, including two bronze in the team sprint and a silver in the 500m.

Hudey competed in a triad of Olympic Games in her career — Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 — with her best result coming in 2018 when she was the top-ranked Canadian woman in the 500m, finishing 10th.

“I’m just very honoured, grateful and humbled to have been able to represent Canada and my sport at the highest level,” Hudey said.

“There’s so much that I take away from [speed skating] that I know will serve me well.”