CALGARY –
Susan Auch was “shocked and deeply saddened” to learn that she was stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of Speed Skating Canada, ending a long tenure with the organization for the Olympic medalist and Canadian Sports Hall of Fame member.
The decision was made Thursday by Speed Skating Canada’s board of directors, the organization said in an email. The terse statement gave no reason for her departure.
Reached out on Friday in Oakbank, Man., Auch said the news took her “completely by surprise.”
“It’s going to be incredibly difficult to recover from,” she told the Canadian press. “This is a very unfair decision and I intend to pursue all legal remedies available to me.”
Auch, 56, joined the board of directors of Speed Skating Canada in 2008 and later served as the organization’s vice president and president. She moved to the CEO position in February 2017.
In its statement, the organization said the board had determined “that it is in the best interest of Speed Skating Canada that Susan Auch no longer serves the organization as CEO”.
“We would like to thank Susan for her many contributions to the SSC and wish her the best in her future endeavors. The Board is currently working on a leadership transition plan and will provide updates on this matter at a later date.
“Because this is a private, personnel-related matter, we will not comment further at this time.”
The organization said members of its speedskating community have been notified of the change.
As CEO, Auch’s program led to a strong performance at the Beijing Olympics earlier this year. Canada won long track gold in the women’s pursuit and short track gold in the men’s 5 km relay, part of a nine-medal speed skating stretch for the country at the Games.
“I have just completed a reorganization of the SSC and the next strategic plan through 2027, along with an excellent team of staff, which calls for us to grow our membership by 1,000 percent by 2027,” she said. “And we will continue to win more medals internationally in a safe and healthy environment. We just completed a culture review last year.”
Also, who is from Winnipeg, won bronze in the relay at the 1988 Calgary Games when short track speed skating was a demonstration event.
She later switched to long-distance competition and won Olympic silver at Lillehammer in 1994, finishing three hundredths of a second behind American rival Bonnie Blair in the 500 metres.
Also finished second at the Nagano Games four years later at the same distance, this time behind Canadian teammate and training partner Catriona Le May Doan.
Also briefly retired from the sport in 1999, but returned the next year and competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
She won The Canadian Press’s 1995 Bobbie Rosenfeld Award for Female Athlete of the Year after winning three World Cup gold medals that season.
Also inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Canada Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on October 14, 2022.