Legendary speedskater Morrison gives Olympic medal to selfless teammate: ‘It’s incredible what we can achieve if we work together’

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Legendary speedskater Denny Morrison gave his Olympic silver to the teammate who stepped aside to give him a shot at it.

At the 2014 Olympics, long-track speedskater Gilmore Junio made the sacrifice of giving up his spot for teammate Denny Morrison in the 1,000 metres.

Morrison would skate to a silver medal, earning his first individual medal in an event at three Olympics. He had won in team pursuit in the 2006 and 2010 games.

Over a decade later, he honored his teammate’s selfless act, giving the silver medal to Junio at last weekend’s FIU World Cup event in Calgary, at a banner raising commemorating Morrison's career.

Morrison, a native of Fort St. John, is now a third-year medical student at the University of Alberta.

He told Energeticcity.ca what his teammate did was “nothing short of remarkable”.

“It goes further back from just those rankings that season,” said Morrison. “We had trained together for four years. I may have never had this banner raised to the rafters to honour my legacy without him.

“He was an incredible teammate to me. In fact, Gilmore said he was inspired to switch from short to long track because of the success the team was having.”

Morrison also announced the establishment of a bursary honouring a teammate of the year in Junio’s name.

The bursary, facilitated by Speedskating Alberta, will be open to all speedskaters nationwide and worth $2,500 annually for the next decade.

“I think more athletes in speed skating and across the board should see more of that sort of generosity in sport and in Canada,” said Morrison.

“These acts of sportsmanship and teamwork and generosity deserve some financial backing and some incentive.”

Junio, who makes his home in Calgary, introduced Morrison for the ceremony at the Olympic Oval and told the Canadian Press the gesture “surprised” him.

"Denny has been one of my best friends for a long time, so to get this from him means a lot," said Junio.

Morrison slipped and fell during the 1,000-metres at the Olympic trials and did not qualify. He had finished fourth at the 2013 World Championships.

Junio, who placed 10th at the Sochi Olympics in the 500 metres, was asked by coaches to give up his spot for Morrison.

Ranked 40th in the world, Junio obliged. His sacrifice made him a folk hero among Canadians.

“Rarely do you dream about having the story that kind of transcends the medal," Junio said to the Canadian Press.

After winning the silver medal, Morrison would skate to a bronze medal in the 1,500 metres in Russia. He retired in 2020.

He finished his career tied with Gaetan Boucher for the most Olympic medals for a Canadian male speedskater in a career with four.

Still, Morrison says without his teammates, he might have never realized his dream of Olympic glory.

“What Gilmore did resonates extra,” said Morrison. “In 2010, I was a different athlete. I wanted to win gold medals. It was only because of my teammates in 2006 and 2010 why I had any Olympic medals at all.

“In 2014, when Gilmore gave me that spot, it’s because of him I won an individual medal. It speaks to the notion of 'it's incredible what we can achieve if we work together'.”

Junio, a three-time Olympian, retired after the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.

Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca