Men
CAN
Laurent DUBREUIL
CAN- Date of birth25 Jul 1992
- Height1820 CM
- ProfessionAthlete, Student
- Home townLévis
- Place of birthQuebec
- Start skating / Club He first tried the sport at age four in Levis, QC, Canada. / Club Patinage de Vitesse de Levis: Canada
- HobbiesPlaying golf, relaxing by the pool, spending time with family. (Athlete, 13 Feb 2023)
- languagesEnglish, French
- other nameLarry [he finds it is hard for people to pronounce Laurent correctly if they only speak English]. (Athlete, 04 Jan 2015)
- famliyWife Andreanne Bastille, daughter Rose [2019], son Nathan [2022]
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
In 2023, 2022, and 2020 he received the Men's International Individual Sport award at the Athlete's Gala in Quebec, Canada. In 2022 and 2020 he was also named Athlete of the Year at the gala. (galadelathlete.ca, 02 Nov 2023; Gala de l'athlete Facebook page, 06 Nov 2023; journaldequebec.com, 17 Oct 2023)
In 2021 and 2022 he was named Long Track Male Athlete of the Year by Speed Skating Canada. In 2015 he shared the award with Denny Morrison. (speedskating.ca, 01 Mar 2022)
In 2011 and 2012 he was named Male National Athlete of the Year at the Gala Victoris in Quebec City, QC, Canada. (speedskating.ca, 12 Feb 2017)
In 2021 and 2022 he was named Long Track Male Athlete of the Year by Speed Skating Canada. In 2015 he shared the award with Denny Morrison. (speedskating.ca, 01 Mar 2022)
In 2011 and 2012 he was named Male National Athlete of the Year at the Gala Victoris in Quebec City, QC, Canada. (speedskating.ca, 12 Feb 2017)
"[Have] fun because first of all, you're faster when you have fun and secondly, winning without having fun is not worth it. What makes me smile every day is my family. To be able to practise my passion while having a family has always been my goal. I'm really happy to be able to do both because I'm not sure what makes me the happiest between both. Every day, I have the feeling that I'm living my career dream which is to skate while having a family." (olympics.com, 11 Feb 2022)
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer. (Athlete, 13 Feb 2023)
His parents. (Athlete, 13 Feb 2023)
He was affected by a knee injury ahead of the 2023/24 season. (journaldequebec.com, 06 Oct 2023)
He was forced to withdraw from the 2022 World Sprint Championships in Hamar, Norway, before the start of the second day of competition after testing positive for COVID-19. He had raced on the first day of competition at the event. (noovo.info, 04 Mar 2022)
He suffered a lumbar sprain in his back in February 2008 and was out of action until May 2009. The injury has continued to cause him problems since then. (Athlete, 14 Nov 2019, 18 Nov 2018)
He sustained two concussions in the 2006/07 season. The injuries persuaded him to take up speed skating instead of short track. (Athlete, 18 Nov 2018, 12 Nov 2017)
He was forced to withdraw from the 2022 World Sprint Championships in Hamar, Norway, before the start of the second day of competition after testing positive for COVID-19. He had raced on the first day of competition at the event. (noovo.info, 04 Mar 2022)
He suffered a lumbar sprain in his back in February 2008 and was out of action until May 2009. The injury has continued to cause him problems since then. (Athlete, 14 Nov 2019, 18 Nov 2018)
He sustained two concussions in the 2006/07 season. The injuries persuaded him to take up speed skating instead of short track. (Athlete, 18 Nov 2018, 12 Nov 2017)
To compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (lesoleil.com, 28 Sep 2022)
Winning gold in the 500m at the 2021 World Single Distances Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. (Athlete, 13 Feb 2023)
DAUGHTER'S OLYMPIC PREMONITION
He failed to win a medal in his preferred event, the 500m, at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Ahead of the 1000m in Beijing, he spoke with his daughter, Rose, who was age two on the eve of his 1000m race in Beijing, and she asked him to finish second because that was how old she was. "I started getting good when I became a dad. I feel like that takes away some pressure because it puts things in perspective. Before, skating was the most important thing in my life. If skating was bad, I felt bad. If skating was good, I felt good about myself. But now even if I have a bad race, I don't care too much, because that's not what's most important to me anymore." (journaldequebec.com, 18 Feb 2022; isu.org, 03 Dec 2021)
BACK ISSUES
He sustained a lumbar sprain in his back in 2008, which has plagued him throughout his career. He began seeing an improvement in the issue in his mid-twenties after he started working with physical trainer Jonathan Pelletier-Ouellet. "It invigorated me. I had come to a place in my career where I needed to change, to find something new. When Jonathan arrived he brought something new, it was different from what I had done before. I had still had good results before, I was a world medallist in 2015. I was in my mid-twenties and I could have refused to change my approach, but I got on board, I jumped a bit into nothingness. It was gradual rebuild. I started doing squats again, stuff that I didn't think my back was going to be able to take. I have had back problems since I was young. Now I am not in pain at all, I can put on really heavy loads. It starts from that. Most of my good results have come since then. I owe a lot to Jonathan, but I am happy to have dared to do something different." (ici.radio-canada.ca, 13 Oct 2021, 06 Oct 2021; Facebook profile, 03 Sep 2021)
He failed to win a medal in his preferred event, the 500m, at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Ahead of the 1000m in Beijing, he spoke with his daughter, Rose, who was age two on the eve of his 1000m race in Beijing, and she asked him to finish second because that was how old she was. "I started getting good when I became a dad. I feel like that takes away some pressure because it puts things in perspective. Before, skating was the most important thing in my life. If skating was bad, I felt bad. If skating was good, I felt good about myself. But now even if I have a bad race, I don't care too much, because that's not what's most important to me anymore." (journaldequebec.com, 18 Feb 2022; isu.org, 03 Dec 2021)
BACK ISSUES
He sustained a lumbar sprain in his back in 2008, which has plagued him throughout his career. He began seeing an improvement in the issue in his mid-twenties after he started working with physical trainer Jonathan Pelletier-Ouellet. "It invigorated me. I had come to a place in my career where I needed to change, to find something new. When Jonathan arrived he brought something new, it was different from what I had done before. I had still had good results before, I was a world medallist in 2015. I was in my mid-twenties and I could have refused to change my approach, but I got on board, I jumped a bit into nothingness. It was gradual rebuild. I started doing squats again, stuff that I didn't think my back was going to be able to take. I have had back problems since I was young. Now I am not in pain at all, I can put on really heavy loads. It starts from that. Most of my good results have come since then. I owe a lot to Jonathan, but I am happy to have dared to do something different." (ici.radio-canada.ca, 13 Oct 2021, 06 Oct 2021; Facebook profile, 03 Sep 2021)
He has competed in athletics and table tennis at the Quebec Games in Canada. (speedskating.ca, 12 Feb 2017)
"I like to talk to my wife and kids the day before a race." (Athlete, 13 Feb 2023)
He trains for 20 hours a week.
"My parents are Olympians in speed skating. They taught me how to skate in our backyard and I loved it. Speed skating is a pure sport. It is human against the clock, and that's what I love the most."
Gregor Jelonek [national], CAN; Muncef Ouardi [national]
