The Richmond Rockets Speed Skating Club had athletes winning the overall gold and silver medals at the 2023 BC Short Track Speed Skating Championships held in Kamloops this past weekend.
Rockets skater and coaching assistant Alivia Lam won the overall gold medal for the Youth Female Age 12 category.
No stranger to the podium, Alivia also won the overall silver for the same age category at the 2023 BC Long Track Speed Skating Championships held in Fort St. John in January - an impressive feat given the lack of a long track facility in the Lower Mainland.
Shione Francis, who recently joined the Rockets from Japan, won the overall silver medal in the Open Women’s category.
Also a very impressive accomplishment for a long-track specialist adapting to short-track speed skating this season.
The Rockets team was rounded out by skaters Vanesse Li, Alice Guo, Owen Mayhew and Matthew Kam, as well as coaches Keven Fitzpatrick and Daniel Lakusta. Veteran official Janet Lakusta completed the club contingent.
Competing for the Richmond Oval high performance team at the championships was a handful of Rockets alumni: Tilman Astor (fourth overall, Male 13), Andy Liu (overall silver, Neo-Junior Male) Daniel Li (overall bronze, Junior Male) and Aaron Liu (overall silver, Male 13).
They were supported by Richmond Oval and provincial team coach Nicole Garrido, a former Canadian National Team member. She also coached former Rockets alumni and Oval HP athletes: Ryan Bolton, Paul Astor and Roanan Tien-Vidal, who were competing in Prince Edward Island at the 2023 Canada Winter Games.
