Jeffrey Scholten

Jeff Scholten
Full name	Jeffrey Scholten
nation	Canada
birthday	3rd November 1977
place of birth	Fredericton , New Brunswick
size	175 cm
Weight	70.5 kg
job	college student
Career
society	Fredericton
Trainer	Guy Thibault
National squad	since 1999
Pers. Best times	500 meters - 41.289 seconds March 8, 2003 in Calgary (formerly WR) 1000 meters - 1: 24.680 minutes November 21, 2004 in Calgary 1500 meters - 2: 15.048 minutes December 15, 2000 in Gloucester 3000 meters - 4: 46.249 minutes October 17, 2002 in Calgary
status	resigned
End of career	2007
Medal table
World Cup medals 0 × 1 × 1 × TWM medals 0 × 1 × 1 ×
Short track world championships silver Warsaw 2003 5000 meter relay bronze Sofia 1999 5000 meter relay Short track team championship gold Budapest 2003 team
Placements in the Short Track World Cup
Debut in the World Cup January 27, 2000 in Gothenburg  World Cup victories 3  Overall World Cup 28. (1999/00)  500 m world cup 14. (1999/00)  1000 m world cup 31. (1999/00)  1500 m world cup 32nd (1999/00)
Podium placements 1. 2. 3.  500 meters 2 2 0  1000 meters 0 1 0  1500 meters 0 1 0  3000 meters 0 1 0  Relay / team 1 3 0
last change: January 30, 2010

Jeffrey "Jeff" Scholten (born November 3, 1977 in Fredericton , New Brunswick ) is a former Canadian short tracker .

Although Scholten was rarely part of the Canadian national team in his entire career, he set a total of five world records, three of which were on his parade distance of 500 meters. In addition, the Canadian was able to celebrate three World Cup victories in his career, win a silver and a bronze medal at a world championship and become team world champion together with his teammates. In September 2007, Scholten ended his active career; despite the fact that the number of medals at championships was rather small compared to other teammates, his departure was celebrated as “one of the most emotional moments in Canadian short track history”.

career

Beginnings (1995 to 2000)

Scholten began speed skating at the age of five, made his debut at the Canadian level in the mid-1990s, where he was able to achieve initial successes. At the Canada Games in February and March 1995 , the then 17-year-old took third place over 500 meters and second place with the relay. After he had secured the North American championship title in the all-around competition in 1998, one year later he took part in a major global event for the first time - the Winter Universiade , which took place at the end of January 1999 in Poprad , Slovakia . There the Canadian won the gold medal over 1000 meters in the absence of a number of world-class athletes. Apart from Scholten, only the Chinese Yan Lu was included in the ranking over this distance in the final , the other two short trackers were disqualified after the race. This also included the Italian Nicola Franceschina , who had narrowly beaten Scholten in the semi-finals. In the 500-meter final, Franceschina won by two tenths of a second over Scholten; Both were only slightly slower than the existing world record , which the Italian had set a year earlier in 41.938 seconds.

Despite these good results, Jeffrey Scholten was initially unable to establish himself in the Canadian World Cup team. These were among the world's best teams in the late 1990s and had won the relay gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics , among others . Nevertheless, he was part of the Canadian relay at the 1999 World Cup , where he won the bronze medal behind China and South Korea, together with Olympic champions Éric Bédard and Derrick Campbell . Following the 1998/99 season, Scholten's long-term goal was to be among the top three in his own team, but in the short term he wanted to be among the top five Canadians. After another year, in January 2000, Scholten made his debut in the World Cup at a competition in Gothenburg . There the Canadian convinced with a fourth place over 1000 meters, but shortly afterwards he missed admission to the Canadian A team by one point in the trials, an elimination for places in the world championship team. That is why he was not nominated for the Team World Cup in March, but got another chance in the World Cup. In Heerenveen , he won his first World Cup race on the 500-meter course. He made a good start in the final over the short distance, took a clear lead, but slipped on the last lap and had to finish it in pain. He then explained: “I just prayed [on the last lap] that nobody would overtake me in front of the line. It's a big win and it shows that I can keep up with the best. "

World records and injuries (2000 to 2002)

Jeffrey Scholten set a total of four world records on the Olympic Oval in Calgary.

Instead of taking part in the Team World Cup - where Canada won the gold medal - Scholten started at the Canadian Open Championship in Calgary , where other successful Canadians who had failed in the World Championship elimination also competed . The championship kicked off with the 666-meter pursuit on March 3, 2000, a competition that was not Olympic and was not run in other international competitions. Scholten won the race ahead of Andrew Quinn and said: “I already felt good when I went into the competition. But I didn't think I could run that fast. The weekend will be interesting. A lot can happen, from falls to disqualifications. ”On the second day of the competition, the 500 meters and the 1500 meters were on the program. Scholten won again over the short distance, this time in a world record time of 41.742 seconds. With that he undercut Nicola Franceschina's record, which was still valid until then, by two tenths of a second. Immediately after the competition, the Canadian stated that he had known for a long time that he could run a record because he had been close several times. He has become more self-confident and now everything has come together. On the same day, Scholten's compatriot Andrew Quinn also improved the 1,500-meter world record and a day later also the 1,000-meter best time in the semi-finals. In the final, however, Jeffrey Scholten was again just under two hundredths of a second faster, setting a new world record for the second time in two days. In contrast to the 500 meter competition, the Canadian was amazed this time; He didn't expect a record at this distance, but it was a really great feeling. The weekend is definitely one of his better ones. With three track victories, Scholten also won the championship title at the Canadian Open , which was described as a "world record festival" due to four best marks over two days.

The active season 1999/2000 was thus over for Jeffrey Scholten, even if there were further discussions about the records in the spring. In the meantime, these were withdrawn by the responsible ISU because the Canadians had not completed any mandatory doping controls after the race. After all, at a congress in the summer of 2000, the ISU rated the records as such. The winter, which went well for the Canadian, was followed by a less than successful 2000/01 season. During this period, Scholten did not make the leap into the World Cup team despite the best marks from March, and he also had to forego the nomination for other major events. The national coach Guy Thibault commented on the situation in the strong Canadian team: “We have […] definitely the strongest team in the whole world. Every nation has one or two strong runners, but their number seven does not set any world records. ”At the beginning of the following winter, in October 2001, however, he again showed an outstanding performance. At the CODA Invitational , the Canadians' season opener, he again improved his 500 meter world record, this time to 41.514 seconds. In the course of this competition, a total of four records were set, including the 1000-meter record held by team-mate Steve Robillard, which was also held by Scholten . Thus, the Canadian only held one record after the invational. The rest of the season he had bad luck with illness and injuries; immediately after setting the world record, he developed Pfeiffer glandular fever . He later suffered a broken ankle when he was eliminated for the 2002 Winter Olympics - his declared goal before the season - and had to end the Olympic season early.

World Cup victories and other world records (2002 to 2004)

The American Apolo Anton Ohno was one of Scholten's competitors in the World Cup during the 2002/03 season.

The winter of 2002/03 did not start out promisingly for Jeffrey Scholten either. Still due to injuries from last season, he missed the first World Cup and did not return to the international level until February 2003. In Kearns , Utah , he first finished second over 1500 meters behind the Chinese Sui Bao Ku , and even won the short distance of 500 meters. In the final of this competition there were two other Canadians and Apolo Anton Ohno from the United States. The American was disqualified for disability, resulting in a Canadian triple win, led by Jeffrey Scholten. After the competition, he stated that he hadn't felt any pressure because he was last in the overall World Cup anyway. This meant he didn't have to run tactically. Thanks to another second rank over 1000 meters, Scholten also won the all-around event at a World Cup for the first time, with a clear advantage over second-placed Apolo Anton Ohno. A week later he did not quite follow up on these results; his fourth place over 500 meters and a second place with the relay were enough as a recommendation for the team world championship in Budapest .

The final decision on the allocation of starting places in the Canadian team was made at the Canadian Championships in early March 2003. As three years before, Scholten ran the 500 meter world record, this time in an early round, in the final he was disqualified and finally reached fifth place. This made the Canadian the first and so far only athlete to set three world records over 500 meters. In addition, he was only the third short tracker to set four individual world records, all four on the Olympic Oval in Calgary. With the renewed world record, Scholten was nominated for the Team World Cup, won six of his seven starts there and thus contributed to the third victory in a row for the Canadian team. The Canadian said: "My speed is the most important thing for me and that is particularly practical in such a mode of execution." He also said that he was not nervous, but rather confident, as the Canadians had already performed well in past team championships had. The season ended with a start at the individual world championship in Warsaw , which was rather mixed for Scholten. On the individual distances he had no chance of a medal - his best result was a sixth place - with the relay he won the silver medal as a substitute runner. Overall, the Canadian had established himself among the top five in his country this winter, but due to the injury pauses, he was still far behind in the overall World Cups - which are considered an indicator of constancy.

In contrast to the previous winter, the 2003/04 season began injury-free for Scholten, so that he could already compete in the World Cup opener in Calgary. Although he never reached a final in any individual race - but always the semifinals and thus a top ten result - with the relay he set a new world record in the run-up to his fifth and last. The old world record was also set by the Canadian squadron, two years earlier in October 2001 and still without scolding. He saw the key to the record in the excellent start and the very good first split times. He also belonged to the Canadian relay at the next World Cup, but was no longer used in individual races for the time being. Among other things, his compatriot Jean-François Monette improved the 500 meter world record, which Scholten lost after more than three and a half years. The next opportunity to collect World Cup points on the individual distances was at the beginning of December 2003. In China, he impressed over the 500 meters and made it into a final for the first time in the season. There a contact with another runner shortly before the end prevented the possible victory; Scholten himself stated that this did not allow him to develop his full speed. Nevertheless, he was satisfied with his second place in the end. After his teammates had been so successful in the season, he would definitely have wanted to get on the podium. Before the international championships were due in March 2004, the athletes first had to qualify for them again. In the preliminary rounds, the now 26-year-old was no longer able to do this, so he was relegated to the B team, the so-called National Development Team . This ended the season for Scholten, he had lost his place in the national team and could not start in the World Cup next winter.

The last active years (2004 to 2007)

After the unsuccessful qualification for the 2004/05 World Cup season, Jeffrey Scholten did not have the opportunity to return to the first team until September 2005. The trials were the only way to recommend yourself for the Winter Olympics , which were to take place in Turin in February 2006. In the semifinals over the 500 meters, at the start of the trials, Scholten collided with his teammate François-Louis Tremblay and broke his collarbone . This ended the preliminary competitions and at the same time the entire season for him. The situation was similar to that before the 2002 Olympic Games, when Scholten also missed it after breaking an ankle.

Scholten made his comeback in the World Cup in December 2006 in Saguenay after an almost three-year break . He benefited from the cancellation of his teammate Mathieu Turcotte , who ended the season prematurely. The Canadian was once again able to convince; over 500 meters he reached third place in the victory of his teammate Charles Hamelin and was overtaken on the finish line by second, the Chinese Ze Hu . This tenth podium result in the World Cup was also his last, because after another outing in Montreal he was no longer nominated for the highest competition series. In September 2007, Scholten ended his twelve-year short track career at the National Team Selection in Calgary at the age of 30. He managed to win in his last race, which he later explained: “Before the competition I was nervous because I knew it would be my last, but the cheering of the audience gave me what I wanted needed a good last race. ”He justified his choice of where he left off with the fact that he always had good successes in Calgary. Coach David Gilday described his departure as "one of the most emotional moments in Canadian short track history".

After the end of his career, Scholten worked with Alex Moritz as a technician for the Canadian national team.

Awards

• Speed ​​skater of the year in his home province of New Brunswick in 2000

Web links

• Profile on speedskating.ca ( Memento from January 5, 2002 in the Internet Archive )
• Results up to 2006 on cyberscoreboard ( Memento from March 4, 2007 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Games Results ( Memento of the original from November 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ Men 1000m Final - Heat 1 ( Memento from March 6, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ Men 500m Final - Heat 1 ( Memento from March 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ Individual disciplines men
5. ↑ FREDERICTON'S SCHOLTEN WINS WORLD CUP SPEED SKATING GOLD ( Memento from July 19, 2001 in the Internet Archive )
6. ↑ Scholten, Chenard Take Early Lead at Canadian Open Short Track Trials ( Memento from May 23, 2000 in the Internet Archive )
7. ↑ TWO WORLD RECORDS SET AT CANADIAN SHORT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS ( Memento from July 21, 2001 in the Internet Archive )
8. ^ Another Day, Another World Record; Scholten Cleans Up at Canadian Open ST Championships ( Memento from June 16, 2000 in the Internet Archive )
9. ↑ Fast Ice in Calgary: New World Records ( Memento of the original from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
10. ↑ Communication No. 1076: Decisions of the ISU Council ( Memento of October 18, 2000 in the Internet Archive )
11. ↑ CANADIAN SHORT TRACK TEAM LOOKS GOLDEN ( Memento from October 18, 2000 in the Internet Archive )
12. ↑ Jeffrey Scholten ( Memento from January 5, 2002 in the Internet Archive )
13. ↑ Two gold, five medals for Canada at short track speed skating World Cup
14. ^ Another day, another DQ for Ohno at World Cup
15. ↑ Overall Classification MEN ( Memento of March 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
16. ^ World record for Scholten, wins for Goulet-Nadon and Guilmette
17. ↑ Canada wins men's title at short track team worlds
18. ^ World record for Canada in relay at short track speed skating World Cup
19. ↑ Jeff Scholten wins silver in 500 at short track speed skating World Cup
20. ↑ September 3, 2005 Canadian Trials Results ( Memento of the original from May 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
21. ↑ Mathieu Turcotte going on sabbatical ( Memento of the original from May 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
22. ^ Another Great Day for Canada in Saguenay
23. ↑ Short Track World Cup Teams Finalized at National Team Selection 1
24. ↑ 'A grand moment in Canadian skating history' ( Memento of the original dated December 23, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
25. ↑ Presentations - June 20  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.