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WORLD WINTER GAMES - NAGANO 2005 (JAPAN) |
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The 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games were held from February 26 to March 5, 2005, at the same venues, which hosted the 1998 Olympic Games. Competing in three sports - snowshoeing, downhill and cross-country skiing -, five Québec athletes were part of Team Canada 2005 that flew to Japan. Out of a total of 84 medals garnered by the Canadian delegation, Matthieu Besnier, Michael Gilbert, Laurent Massignac, Sara-Jane Daigle and Charlène Saindon won 14 medals in addition to two World Champion titles.
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Congratulations to our athletes and to Serge Boulianne and Alain Maillé who were in Japan as part of the mission staff as well as to Sylvain Landry, Team Canada's snowshoeing assistant coach.
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Matthieu Besnier
Québec City
This is Matthieu Besnier's second participation in an international event. Competing in track & field, he won the gold in the 100m and 200m events at the 2002 Special Olympics National Summer Games before participating in the 2003 World Games in Dublin.
In February 2004, he represented Québec in snowshoeing at the National Games in Charlottetown and his two gold medals opened the doors to the Nagano World Winter Games.
When he is not training, Matthieu works in a Limoilou coffee shop where he gives his co-workers a hand. In Nagano, Matthieu was accompanied by his coach Sylvain Landry, also from Québec City.
World Winter Games Results
Gold medal in the 100 m
Gold medal in the 200 m
Gold medal in the 4 x 100 m relay
Highlight
In addition to three gold medals, Matthieu also brought back from Nagano the World Snowshoe Champion title.
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Sara-Jane Daigle
Dollard-des-Ormeaux
Since joining the Special Olympics movement in Québec in 1989, Sara-Jane has been determined to do her very best. She is active in several sports such as swimming, track & field and snowshoeing and she has learned the importance of keeping in shape and staying healthy. Sara-Jane made it thanks to the support of her coach, Tracy Wrench.
It is as a snowshoer that she won a bronze medal and a silver medal at the Special Olympics National Winter Games in February 2004. Thanks to her great performance, Sara-Jane was among the five Québec athletes who competed in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
World Winter Games Results
Bronze medal in the 200 m
Silver medal in the 100 m
Silver medal in the 4 x 100 m relay
Highlight
In Nagano, Sara-Jane was chosen to take part in a snowshoeing race with celebrities such as Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci.
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Michael Gilbert
St-Donat
Michael is a downhill ski champion. A member of Special Olympics since 1999, he now trains at a generic ski club at Mont-Garceau, in the Laurentians.
At the 2003 Special Olympics Provincial Winter Games in Québec City, he won two gold and one silver medals which qualified him for the Charlottetown National Games from which he brought back four gold medals in four separate events.
His impressive performance led him to the World Games in Nagano. With his coach Lise Chayer, this special athlete from
St-Donat trained all year to improve his physical fitness as well as his downhill and slalom techniques.
World Winter Games Results
Gold medal in the downhill event
Gold medal in the slalom event
Gold medal in the giant slalom event
World Downhill Ski Champion
Highlight
At the 8th Sports Celebrities Festival held on May 31, 2005 at the Palais des congrès in Montréal, Michael had the opportunity to meet his idol, skier Mélanie Turgeon, with whom he had his photo taken.
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Laurent Massignac
Ste-Agathe
Laurent is a born athlete who enjoys all sports but it is in cross-country skiing that he distinguished himself at the Special Olympics Provincial Winter Games in Québec City in 2003 by winning the gold in the 5 km and 7 km and the bronze in the 3 x 1 km. In 2004, he participated in the National Games in Prince Edward Island where his two gold and one silver medals led him to Nagano. A member of Special Olympics Québec since 2001, he loves every minute of it, especially the team spirit displayed by volunteers like his coach Jean Noël and fellow special athletes from the Laurentians region.
World Winter Games Results
5th place in the 4 x 1 km relay
Bronze medal in the 7.5 km
Gold medal in the 5 km
Highlight
In Nagano, Laurent said the Special Olympian's Oath in French during the dinner held for Team Canada before it left for Vancouver.
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Charlène Saindon
St-Faustin
Charlène and has been snowshoeing with SOQ since 2001. She loves wide-open spaces and trains several times each week with Manon Lacasse. She has made great progress in the last few years and is very proud of having been selected for Team Canada 2005. After her breathtaking performance at the 2004 National Games where she won 3 gold medals, Charlène distinguished herself at the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
World Winter Games Results
Gold medal in the 200 m
Gold medal in the 400 m
Gold medal in the 4 x 400 m relay
Highlight
In June 2004, along with Marcel Jobin, Olympic walk champion and former SOQ snowshoeing coach in the Mauricie region, Charlène had the honour of carrying the Olympic torch when it reached Montreal on its way to Athens.
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