By Dale Miller
You’ve surely already heard–it’s been in every major newspaper except ours until now–but the Gauntlet would be remiss if it didn’t acknowledge the fact that Canadian speed skating legend Catriona Le May Doan has retired.
Last week, at a press conference held at the University of Calgary, a teary-eyed Le May Doan ended her 23-year career–and what a fruitful career it was.
Le May Doan’s achievements are numerous and impressive. Two Olympic gold medals in the 500m, one Olympic bronze in 1,000m, three-time Canadian Female Athlete of the Year, the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s Athlete of the Year, World Champion at the 2002 World Sprint Championships in the 500m and a multitude of world records and World Cup medals.
A fixture on the U of C campus for years, Le May Doan has affected the lives of many. You would be hard pressed to find a student who had not seen her smiling face at one point or another around campus. Her absence will be felt.