Former short track National Team skater Mélanie Gagnon joins NextGen Program coaching staff??

Gagnon moves to NextGen Program after two years with the Canadian Regional Training Centre in Montreal?

MONTRéAL, QUéBEC – Former National Team skater Mélanie Gagnon (St-Jér?me, Que.) has been hired as an assistant coach with Speed Skating Canada’s NextGen short track program.?

Gagnon, 47, moves to the NextGen-A team following a two-year coaching stint with the Canadian Regional Training Centre (CRCE) in Montreal. Together with lead coach Yannick Desmeules and fellow assistant coach Jonathan Perez-Audy, the trio will work to develop the country’s top up-and-coming skaters in their preparations for competitions on the national and international stages.?

“I’ve been saying this quite frequently since I’ve returned to high-level coaching: my primary objective is to share my experience as an athlete and a coach with my athletes. I want to help them live as many experience as they can while they are in the sport. And I want them to be proud of themselves and ensure that they have zero regrets.” - Mélanie Gagnon, Assistant Coach, NextGen Programs

From humble beginnings at her hometown club in St-Jér?me, a club her mother help build from the ground up, Gagnon worked her way through the ranks and participated at the 1987 and 1989 Québec Winter Games, as well as the 1995 Canada Winter Games in Grande Prairie. She became a member of Canada’s national program in 1998, representing her country at a handful of World Cups and taking on the role of training partner and substitute for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin. A student-athlete throughout her career, she also took part in the FISU Winter Universiade in both Poland in 2001 and Italy in 2003.?

After coaching local clubs in St-Jér?me et Ste-Julie while she was a skater, Gagnon joined the Club Montréal International following her retirement, leading them from 2008 to 2010. After a few years away to focus on her young family, she returned to coaching in 2015, taking over the Sport études program with the Club de patinage de vitesse Mirabel et Saint-Jér?me. Gagnon worked for her childhood club until her departure for the CRCE in 2022.?

As a coach with the CRCE, Gagnon was selected to guide Quebec at the 2023 Canada Winter Games in Price Edward Island, where they captured 17 of the 24 short track medals available. Over her two years with the CRCE, two of her personal skaters reached the NextGen-A group, culminating with participation at ISU Junior Short Track World Cups and the ISU Junior Short Track World Championships.?

Gagnon’s first competition in her new role, which she officially begins on August 19, will be the?2024 Canadian Short Track Championships?presented by Intact Insurance, which run from September 13-15 at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal.?