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MONTREAL - Charles Hamelin and Marianne St-Gelais may have become Canada's favourite lovebirds at the 2010 Olympics, but when the short-track speed skaters wing off to Bulgaria this week it will be all business.
The world championships March 19-21 in Sofia and the world team championships March 27-28 in Bormio, Italy, must first be contested before they and their Canadian teammates can relax and really enjoy their five-medal haul at the Games in Vancouver only two weeks ago.
"It will be a good opportunity to finish the year on a perfect note," Hamelin said.
Hamelin picked up a pair of gold medals in Vancouver while St-Gelais came back with two silver medals. Francois-Louis Tremblay had the other Canadian medal, a bronze in the 500 metres.
It was known before the Games that 25-year-old Hamelin and 20-year-old St-Gelais were an item, but for anyone who missed, it was made very clear by the long embraces they gave each other on national television after winning medals.
When the team met with the media this week, Hamelin called the silver St-Gelais won in the women's 500-metre race, behind Chinese star Wang Meng, the highlight of his Games.
"That was one of the greatest moments for me at the Olympics," said the Ste-Julie, Que., skater. "I knew she was able to do good, but for her to take the second step of the podium, that was like a gold for her.
"I was crying I was so happy for her. And after, when I won two golds, the 500 and relay, that was the greatest moment of my life as an athlete. My goal was to come back with two medals and it was my last opportunity. I'm proud of what I did. After that, i just wanted to thank everyone and share the moment with Marianne."
There wasn't a lot of time for moment-sharing.
After short-track competition ended, the skaters stayed the last two days until the closing ceremonies, then most of them flew back to Montreal the next day, had one day off and then were back on the track at their national training centre to get ready for the worlds.
Still, in the little time they've had, both Hamelin and St-Gelais have had a taste of their new-found fame.
"People stop us wherever we go, to the theatre or a shopping centre or a grocery store," said Hamelin. "Even on the street sometimes a car will beep and they'll say 'good job.'
"It's fun. We like it when people come to us and say 'congrats' and 'you look cute on TV.' Every time someone tells us that, it keeps the feeling of the Olympics alive inside us."
Despite a solid history of success at Olympics and world championships, short-trackers are not generally household names in Canada. In their case, perhaps the love interest boosts their visibility, although St-Gelais suggests it may be fleeting.
"Everyone knows us now, but in three months, no one will remember us," she said. "But it's OK. We're enjoying the moment now."
On Saturday, the team will fly to Sofia to begin preparing for a hectic finale to the 2009-2010 short-track season.
Coming off the high they lived in Vancouver, the challenge will be to keep their energy and motivation levels up for the worlds.
"That is a danger," said team veteran Tania Vicent, who plans to retire this summer. "I'm not going to lie - it's hard to go to the worlds after a high like the Olympics.
"What keeps me going is the team worlds. It's always a fun competition and it helps that you don't want to let down your team. Individual is more difficult for me now."
In Sofia, medals will be given for individual events and relays, but in Bormio, skaters earn only points for their teams and a country is named champion at the end.
One coach mused that world championships in Olympic years are mainly a chance for skaters to take revenge for medals missed during the Games.
But Hamelin said he will be trying his best to win.
"The goal will be to try to be on the podium at every distance, to give myself the best chance to come back with the world championship title," he said. "It's been a couple of years that I've been third or second.
"I feel strong enough and confident enough to do it this year."
After the two world events, planning will start in May for the next four-year cycle leading to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
Hamelin's father Yves, who directs the Canadian short-track team, will be meeting with everyone involved in the program, plus some outside advisors, to assess what will be done to try to repeat or even better the results from Vancouver.
The skaters will finally get their break - perhaps a month or two of free time after two years of nearly continuous training for the 2010 Games - before gathering again to get ready to resume competitive skating in September.
Sometime in there, St-Gelais will head home to St-Felicien in northern Quebec, where the city has a victory celebration planned.
"I'll enjoy it then," she said. "Right now, just to be here with the other girls on the team is a source of motivation for me.
"Now I can go for another three weeks and then it's over."
