Mr. Speaker, the news has just broken that Annie Perreault is the first Quebec woman to win a gold medal in speedskating.
We wish to draw attention to this young woman's courage, as she has coped with a number of difficulties throughout her training. Yet she never gave up, and now has been rewarded with this wonderful win.
Representing Canada is in itself a source of pride to all of the athletes at the Nagano Games. Our thoughts are with them all, each and every minute of these competitions, and we are well aware of how much effort our athletes have put into doing their best for Canada.
In congratulating Annie for her well-deserved win, let us remember all of the other athletes who are over there representing us so worthily, and let us wish them all the best of luck.