Almost all of the sporting focus right now is on the Arctic Winter Games at the end of the month, but there is another big event shortly following that.

That would be the Canada Winter Games at the end of February in Charlottetown, and Speed Skating NWT has named its team that will make the trip SA国际影视传媒� and it will be as full a team as thereSA国际影视传媒檚 ever been.

A total of nine skaters were introduced on Wednesday: Sage Acorn, Byran Clinton, Luke Dizon, Lochlan Dunn and Kaleb Picek will make up the menSA国际影视传媒檚 squad, while Maica McEachern, Rebecca Messier, Erika Pollard and Kali Skauge will take to the ice on the womenSA国际影视传媒檚 side.

Kerry Egan, the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 head coach, said the team was selected based solely on performance times.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 a minimum time standard skaters have to meet in order to qualify,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e havenSA国际影视传媒檛 had a full team in past years because of that, but we will this year.SA国际影视传媒�

The time standard is also a safety issue, she added.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou donSA国际影视传媒檛 want a kid out there who canSA国际影视传媒檛 make the standard because that means they may not be stable enough,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

The competition in Charlottetown will start with preliminary races in both the male and female divisions. From there, skaters will be placed in either the upper or lower brackets and will continue racing from there.

Egan said she knows thereSA国际影视传媒檚 the possibility of some upper-bracket competition among the ranks.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have some who can punch up, but our kids will be able to stay competitive,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭aking a look at whoSA国际影视传媒檚 going, I know weSA国际影视传媒檒l be in there against Nunavut, Yukon, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and staying with the Prairie provinces. Ontario, Quebec and B.C. will have the deeper teams, of course, but weSA国际影视传媒檒l be in there.SA国际影视传媒�

A full complement of skaters means the NWT will be able to field two relay teams SA国际影视传媒� male and female SA国际影视传媒� for the first time in a long time. The previous two Canada Winter Games saw either/or entered for relays: a male team in 2019 in Red Deer, Alta., and a female team in 2015 in Prince George, B.C. That female team managed to make the A-side final and had a shot at a medal, but they finished fourth.

Egan said thatSA国际影视传媒檚 perhaps the most exciting aspect of the team.

SA国际影视传媒淎t the age these kids are at, sometimes they donSA国际影视传媒檛 talk to each other and everything falls apart, to be honest,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淥ur kids all know each other, theySA国际影视传媒檝e worked together and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 something theySA国际影视传媒檒l keep working on. Teamwork is one way weSA国际影视传媒檒l be able to respond to the other teams.SA国际影视传媒�

In terms of expectations, Egan said she wants to temper down any sort of goals. Unlike the Arctic Winter Games, where there are multiple age categories, there will only be one per gender in Charlottetown.

SA国际影视传媒淚 will tell you that we will be ready,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淏eing able to put together two full teams post-Covid is amazing and weSA国际影视传媒檒l take every opportunity we get.SA国际影视传媒�