2015 Trophy of the Three Tracks: D-28

The 2015 Trophy of the Three Tracks will take place on April 4th to 6th, during the Easter weekend, on the tracks of Pibrac, Valence d’Agen and Gujan-Mestras (France).

All announcements advise it: Let’s stay positive!

28 days remaining before the final registration deadline. So far, let’s note the registration of 355 foreign skaters (+60 compared to 2014) and -more worrying- that of… 330 French skaters (-120 than same time last year).

Indeed, the bar of 700 registrated skaters will be reached, and many organizations would even make do with half of it. But what is happening amongst the French skaters, all categories included, fit to compete at a national level?
The erosion has become more and more obvious over the last 3 years on all competitions, with the unfortunate climax of the cancellation of the 2015 CJS Indoor French Championships.
Some will blame it on the crisis, but then why do Spanish clubs -which are not spared by it- are sending 150 athletes?
Others, forgetting about the competitive level offered at home, will call into question the concept of the Three Tracks, its dates, the unpredictable weather… Or the too high level of the competition.
There is no doubt that French speed skating, eclipsed by the great results of a very small elite, has entered a period of sport crisis, that cannot be explained by the economic crisis.
All the bases should probably be reworked in clubs, at the level where the problem starts. But do we have the means, the leaders, or even the will to do so?
Observe the suffering leagues with 0 participants on the registration board!
One of the organizing clubs enters more competitiors than all the clubs of the Île-de-France league, one of the biggest.
Congratulations to the Poitou-Charentes league for continuing its growth under the dynamism of its president and leaders in charge of speed skating.

Satisfactions for the organization and for French skating:

• The first registered skater is New-Zealander Olie Jones, the 2014 Junior World Vice Champion, who will make the trip from New Zealand!
• A Japanese international competitor, Hiroki Totori: After China, India and Iran, a new Asian country, Japan, is to be added to the nation list of the Tree Tracks;
• A few 2014 title-holder Colombians who are still waiting for their visas.
• Half a surprise: The comeback of 41 German skaters (only 2 in 2014), explained by the entering of the Three Tracks into the Europa Cup; And the confirmation of the worrying situation of Belgian skating (0 participants) hidden behind the aura of their great champion.

Forerunner as for Internet broadcasting, for the 4th year in a row, a live broadcasting will be on as soon as Saturday afternoon, and for the three days of the event. Last year, 30 to 40.000 connections from 40 different countries had followed the event.
Let’s note the financial contribution of the French Federation and of the Speed Committee of the Midi-Pyrénées League, aware of the international media impact that this broadcasting has on the reputation and image of French skating, so that the operation can be renewed every year.

Follow the evolution of the official website www.3pistes.com on which you will find, once the registrations closed, the list of participants and the final schedule.