| Sport: | Short track speed skating |
| Marianne St-Gelais | |
| Birth Date: | 17 February 1990 |
| Birth Place: | Roberval, Quebec, Canada |
| Height: | 1.62 m |
| Pb: | 500 m: 43.922 WR (2009) 1000 m: (2009) 1500 m: (2009) 3000 m: (2009) |
| Show-Medals: | no |
Marianne St-Gelais (born February 17, 1990) is a Canadian former short track speed skater. She won two silver medals in the 500 m and 3,000 m relay at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and a third silver in the 3,000 m relay at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
St-Gelais, one of five siblings, began skating at the age of 10 when her neighbour encouraged her to join the local speed skating club.[1] Her younger sister Catherine, 15, and brother Bastien 13, still skate competitively.
Marianne calls Saint-Félicien, Quebec her hometown but currently resides in Montreal. In mid-2018, she broke up with her then-boyfriend, short track speed skater Charles Hamelin.[2] St-Gelais as well as boyfriend Hamelin made Hello Canada's 50 most beautiful Canadians list in 2010.[3]
As an accomplished junior skater, and world record holder, St-Gelais placed first overall at the 2007 Canada Games with four gold (500m, 1000m, 3000m and relay) and one silver medal (1500m). St-Gelais was named team Canada's "rising star" of 2009. Marianne St-Gelais is the 2009 world junior champion and world junior record holder in the 500 metres with a time of 43.922 seconds. St-Gelais won her first ever World Cup medal in 500m short track speed skating at Vancouver in 2009.St-Gelais was a member of the Canadian team that attended the 2010 Winter Olympics in both the 500m and 3,000m relay.[4] Prior to these Olympic games she had yet to win any medals at an Olympics or world championships. On February 17, her 20th birthday, she won a silver medal in the 500 metres.[5] [6] She followed this success with a silver medal on February 24, in the 3,000 metre relay, along with Jessica Gregg, Kalyna Roberge and Tania Vicent.[7] After the Olympics St-Gelais continued on her success at the Olympics with a bronze in the 500m at the 2010 World Championships as well as a silver in the 3,000m relay.[8] At the World Team Championships St-Gelais was a part of the Canadian squad that won silver in the event. This concluded what was the most successful season of her young career, with 2 Olympic silvers, 2 world championship silvers, and a worlds bronze.
St-Gelais ended the 2010–11 ISU World Cup season as the 500 m World Cup Champion.[9]
At the 2014 Winter Olympics she took a third Olympic medal as part of the Canadian team in the 3,000 m relay.[10]
In August 2017, St-Gelais was named to Canada's 2018 Winter Olympics team.[11] [12] However she was unable to secure a medal there, being disqualified in the 500 m for interference. However, after the Games she competed in her eighth World Championships, where she secured a bronze medal. She retired from competition that year.