By Ethan Ready

Oval In Sync

With Calgary’s Olympic Ice Oval shutdown, Hiller twins bring training home

Dec 29, 2020 | 5:45 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It’s 7:30 in the morning, and while much of the city is calm and quiet, the slicing of blades on ice echoes through the air at the Outdoor Ice Oval.

It’s here that some of our regions’ top speedskaters have been practicing over the holidays, many of which have spent much of the year in Calgary at the Olympic Ice Oval. Two of them, none other than Prince George’s Hiller twins.

Nico and Lina have embraced the opportunity of coming home. With Calgary’s Olympic Ice Oval shut down due to mechanical issues, the pair have found ice time here at home, but also a mental break from the reality of things pertaining to the pandemic.

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Due to the pandemic and its impact on sports, the twins, much like many of their NextGen-status Canadian teammates, have been balancing online education with their living within the Olympic Ice Oval bubble.

With the cancellations of all competitions, the 23-year-old long-track skaters have treated the year as a time to simply focus on their own personal development in hopes of cracking the Canadian Olympic team ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2022.

Early reports indicate the Calgary Ice Oval might not be able to re-open until May, however, the Hiller’s could return sooner if repairs are able to be made much earlier.