Richmond Olympic Oval track record Broken

18-10-2009:- METRO VANCOUVER — As swaggering boastfulness goes, it was about 18 levels below Tyson-esque.

Then again, Canadian athletes have never been noted for unrestrained chest-thumping bravado.

So it was with understated simplicity and an almost sheepish grin — so Canadian, eh — that long track speed skater Christine Nesbitt speculated on what the international buzz might be after she and two teammates broke the Richmond Olympic Oval track record on Sunday for the women's 1,500.

"I think they'll be scared, so that's cool," said the London, Ont., product after posting a time of one minute, 56.89 seconds in winning the distance at Speed Skating Canada's fall World Cup selection trials. "It's nice to keep everyone on their toes."

Cool? Nice? Is she throwing down the gauntlet or one of those soft red Olympic mittens?

Given the sea-level oval's reputation as a relatively slow track and the fact the season has barely started, Nesbitt's time was a bit of a surprise.

"I hope I'm not peaking right now," cracked the 24-year world champion at 1,000 metres. "I've been getting better technically . . . and I was able to be more efficient at the start of the race so I could hold it together better at the end. I've never had a track record before. It's exciting."

The official record at the 2010 Olympics venue was the 1:58.66 that German star Anni Friesinger clocked last March at the world single distance championships. Unofficially, it was the 1:57.75 Kristina Groves of Ottawa clocked in that same race. Groves, however, was disqualifed for barely clipping one of the lane pucks in a turn.

With an appreciative crowd of about 1,500 on hand Sunday, Groves went 1:57.03 in a blisteringly fast pairing with Brittany Schussler of Winnipeg (1:58.13).

Nesbitt was next up.

"I was like, 'Sick!' I was maybe a little bit worried there for a second, then when I was on the line it was 'Calm down. You're already pre-qualified, it doesn't matter. Just go and do what you planned on doing.' So I refocussed on myself and it worked."

Shannon Rempel of Winnpeg, paired with Nesbitt, was fourth in 2:00.54 and veteran Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg, who is on the comeback trail after knee surgeries, fifth in 2:00.69 to claim the final two spots for the fall World Cups.

"Our team is so strong, especially the women in the middle distance right now, the best that we've ever been," said Nesbitt. "At the Olympics, obviously I'd like to win, but it would be sweet if there was a Canadian sweep in a few distances at least."

Klassen, a winner of five medals at the 2006 Olympics, was relieved to get the placing she needed to ensure she'll be skating at least one distance on the World Cup circuit. It starts with all-distance stops in Berlin and Heerenveen, Netherlands, early next month.

"The girls were just flying," said Klassen. "I'm so impressed with how fast they skated and it's looking good for our team. Breaking a track record this early in the season is very impressive. I've got my work cut out for me if I want to catch up to them."

Nesbitt said that with things settling down inside the oval and the ice-makers getting more experience, the ice is getting faster. "And it'll be faster at the Olympics."

The women weren't the only ones to find the ice to their liking.

Denny Morrison of Fort St. John won the men's 1,000 metres in 1:09.91, only. 0.95 slower than the winning time of American Trevor Mariscano at the worlds.

Morrison, who already pre-qualified for the World Cup circuit based on last season's results, said he felt a "little flat" after racing a pair of 500 metre races on Saturday.

"My hip flexors weren't as quick and I was a little sluggish, so I was pretty happy with the time given that I never really had that snap. To be skating this fast at this time of year, I'm way ahead of where I was last year."

Veteran sprint star Jeremy Wotherspoon of Red Deer, who shockingly failed to qualify for the World Cup team in the 500 on Saturday, did bounce back Sunday to claim a 1,000 metre spot by placing fourth in 1:10.70.

"I wasn't too happy with how it went yesterday, but today was a big step," said Wotherspoon, who won nine of 10 World Cup 500s in 2007-08.

Wotherspoon, admittedly not in top form after missing nearly all last season after fracturing his left arm in the opening race, says he won't go to the first World Cup in Berlin and is uncertain about skating in Heerenveen.

"All that racing and travelling before [Olympic team] trials [in late December] could be a bit too much," he said.

The trials continue today at 1 p.m. with the women's 1,000 and 3,000 and the men's 1,500.