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Golden Girl Cindy Klassen gives up dream of fourth straight Olympic Games; unsure if she will continue competing in speedskating
Canada's greatest winter Olympian will not complete her quest to compete in a fourth straight Olympics for her country.
With less than two weeks until the Olympic trials, speedskater Cindy Klassen is still not training after suffering a concussion this summer. Klassen told the Free Press on Tuesday she will not make it to Sochi and is uncertain about her future as a speedskater.
"This is disappointing for me but I'm not going to be able to try out for these Games. I crashed while I was in-line skating this summer and got a concussion," said Klassen, born in Winnipeg and developed as a skater at the Winnipeg Speedskating Club. "It sidelined me for a quite a long time. I tried to get into training, but every time I did it I would have symptoms. So I would have to hold back. The process just took so long. Although now I feel great, I feel completely healed, it's just too late. The trials are right around the corner and I just don't have time to get into the shape I want to be in."
Klassen competed last season -- her 13th international campaign -- and placed 19th in the 3,000 metres and 16th in the 5,000 metre at the World Single Distances Championships. She also competed in six World Cups but failed to earn a medal. At the Canadian Single Distances Championships...