Charles Hamelin

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Reason for choosing this sport	"I got to skate with my brother Francois' club at Christmas and on other holidays. It was a lot of fun and I really liked the thrill of the ice. It was like a family event every time we went to the rink. Everyone would pile into the car and it was just about having fun and skating fast and doing the best we could."
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began skating in 1994 in Sainte-Julie, QC, Canada.

Other information	RETIREMENT He retired from competitive short track in 2022. He won bronze in the 5000m relay event at the 2022 World Championships in Montreal, QC, Canada, in the final race of his career. "It was one of the most emotional moments of my life knowing my little daughter was in the stands and with all my boys on the ice, we worked the hardest we could to reach the podium. The medal at the end doesn't mean anything - I had my last moment at home with my crowd, with my family and my daughter. It is almost like any Olympics I went to. Speed skating became my family. My girlfriend learned a lot about speed skating and she understood pretty quickly that my [short track] family was bigger than my real family." (cbc.ca, 10 Apr 2022)
Most influential person in career	Canadian short track skater Derrick Campbell, and his father. (Athlete, 05 Feb 2020, 13 Nov 2018)
Hero / Idol	Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. (montreal.ctvnews.ca, 15 Jun 2022; Athlete, 05 Feb 2020)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Believe in yourself." (Athlete, 05 Feb 2020)
Famous relatives	His younger brother Francois won gold in short track in the 5000m relay at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. His father Yves was the team leader of the Canadian short track squad at the 2014 Games in Sochi. His mother Manon Goulet is the cousin of NHL Hall of Fame player Michel Goulet, who represented the Quebec Nordiques and Chicago Blackhawks. (Facebook profile, 21 Sep 2017; NOC Media Guide, 2014; olympic.org, 18 Dec 2013; theglobeandmail.com, 31 Jul 2013; speedskating.ca, 02 Jan 2011; cbc.ca, 04 Jan 2010)
Injuries	He withdrew from the 2021 Canadian National Championships in Montreal, Quebec, after suffering a concussion. (journaldemontreal.com, 22 Aug 2021; lareleve.qc.ca, 06 Sep 2021) He had a severe ankle sprain during the early stage of the 2019/20 season, which kept him out for several weeks. (Athlete, 05 Feb 2020; lapresse.ca, 19 Nov 2019) In 2019 he was off the ice for four weeks with bursitis in his left knee. (lapresse.ca, 19 Nov 2019; lareleve.qc.ca, 16 Nov 2019) In August 2013 he injured a ligament in his left ankle. (cbc.ca, 29 Sep 2013) In November 2009 he crashed into the boards in a World Cup 1000m qualifying race in Michigan, United States of America. He struck his head and was cut by skates, forcing him to pull out of the competition as a precaution. (cbc.ca, Jan 04 2010)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning the overall title at the 2018 World Championships in Montreal, QC, Canada. (Athlete, 05 Feb 2020)
Hobbies	Watching Formula One. (montreal.ctvnews.ca, 15 Jun 2022)
Awards and honours	He and ice hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin were flag bearers for Canada at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (montreal.ctvnews.ca, 15 Jun 2022) He received the Marc Gagnon Award from Speed Skating Canada on 11 occasions between 2005 and 2021. The award recognises the Canadian Male Short Track Athlete of the Year. (schaatsen.nl, 21 Aug 2021; speedskating.ca, 01 Jan 2019, 22 Jan 2018)
Milestones	He became the first male athlete representing Canada to win four Olympic gold medals at either the summer or winter editions of the Games when he triumphed in the 5000m relay at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. With the medal, he also became the first male athlete representing Canada to win six career medals of any colour at the Olympic Winter Games. At age 37 years and 308 days, the medal also made him the oldest short track athlete from any nation to win an Olympic medal. (SportsDeskOnline, 06 Jul 2022)