Nunavut, Nunavik clinch first golds at Winter Games

Nunavut and Nunavik have won their first gold medals at the Arctic Winter Games, gliding to victory on the speedskating track and pulling a win in the Dene games.

Short track speedskater Akutaq Williamson Bathory, a triple gold medal winner at last year’s games in Alberta, won Team Nunavut’s first gold medal of the 2024 Games in the female under-19 1,000-metre race on Monday evening.

“I’m feeling so great. Just having my team with me, it’s been amazing,” Williamson Bathory said of her win, speaking by phone Tuesday from Mat-Su Valley, Alaska, where the Games are being held.

“Being surrounded by all these just great people, great attitudes and creative mindsets and just smiles all around. That’s what AWG is all about.”

She didn’t have to go far to tell her family the good news — her mother and sister are watching the games in person, her father is a volunteer at the Games and her brother Igimaq Williamson Bathory is competing on the cross-country skiing team.

“Just not being with my team for so long, I’ve just been longing to be with them, so I think I’m just mostly happy to be surrounded by my community,” Akutaq Williamson Bathory said of her experience at the Games so far.

Since dominating the rink at last year’s Games, the 18-year-old has moved from her hometown of Iqaluit to Calgary. When she’s not studying sociology at the University of Calgary, she’s training at the Calgary Olympic Oval.

Morgan Nelson, left, of Northwest Territories and Nunavut skater Melia Allain celebrate after finishing the 1,000-metre non-medal final short track speedskating event in Eagle River, Alaska, on Monday. Nelson eked out a narrow victory, beating Allain by a fraction of a second. (Photo by Dustin Patar, special to Nunatsiaq News)

“I think it was definitely a huge adjustment coming from the North and then going to the south. To me, it’s just a whole different environment,” she said of the big move to university.

“Speedskating helped me to just stay grounded [and] have something consistent in my life. I think that’s really important.”

Williamson Bathory, who has four more races coming up this week, said her training this year has helped her feel more calm on the ice.

“That’s been a huge thing I’ve noticed in my skating,” she said.

Williamson Bathory isn’t the only medal-winner for Nunavut.

Teammate Miles Brewster earned a bronze in the male under-19 1,000-metre speedskating event and Gregor Paterson won bronze in the male under-15 1,000 metres. And in the Dene games stick pull, Lloyd Willie won bronze in the open male category.

“The one thing that stands out with this team that we have is the friendship and the support that they get from one another,” coach Martine Dupont said.

“The cheering in the stands is always so extremely loud.”

Dupont and fellow coach Hayley Roberts said they’re especially happy to have seen so many personal bests recorded on Monday, along with the medals.

“For us, medals are great, of course, but as an individual sport the personal best times are a big deal for everybody,” Dupont said.

In short track speedskating, each event has a heat, a semifinal and a final, so athletes have multiple chances to beat their personal best speeds.

On Monday, 14 Nunavut skaters recorded 20 personal best times over various events.

“We really try to put a focus on their personal best and we celebrate that as much as we would celebrate for our medals,” Dupont said.

“These kids don’t get a chance to compete as often, maybe, as other jurisdictions so watching them come out and race and compete and have fun and try their hardest was very enjoyable,” Roberts said.

Teams Nunavut and Nunavik are tied in the medal standings with four medals each so far.

For Nunavik, Maria Aitchison secured a gold medal in the Dene games stick pull Monday while Tina Mifsud got silver, also in stick pull. Christopher Angatookalook won silver in the Arctic sports head pull event and Hannah Mae Annanack was awarded bronze in the 2.5-kilometre snowshoe race.

Host team Alaska leads the medal race with 26.

The 2024 Arctic Winter Games, which opened Sunday, continue until Saturday in Mat-Su Valley, Alaska. Nunavut is competing in 13 sports and Nunavik is taking part in five.