The Canadian short track speed skating team had an exceptional start at the second World Tour stop in Montreal, clinching four gold medals. Local favorite William Dandjinou, 24, secured two individual victories on Saturday at Maurice Richard Arena. In the men’s 500 meters, Dandjinou triumphed with a time of 41.126 seconds after Dutch competitor Jens Van’T Wout was disqualified for a false start. Dandjinou maintained the lead throughout the race, with China’s Lui Shaoang taking silver and Sun Long securing the bronze.
Later in the day, Dandjinou, the reigning men’s overall champion, claimed another gold in the 1,500 meters. Fellow Canadian Félix Roussel initially finished second but was penalized, allowing Lachenaie native Steven Dubois to move up to third place behind Japan’s Miyata Shogo.
Courtney Sarault, 25, continued her winning streak by capturing gold in the 1,000 meters, beating South Korea’s Choi Min-jeong and Dutch skater Xandra Velzeboer. Sarault also contributed to Canada’s victory in the women’s 3,000 meters relay, alongside Kim Boutin, Danaé Blais, and Florence Brunelle.
The Canadian team redeemed themselves with a gold medal in the relay event after a disappointing performance the previous weekend. Sarault’s strategic final exchange secured the win, with South Korea and Japan taking silver and bronze, respectively.
The upcoming stops in the Short Track World Tour include Poland in November and the Netherlands later that month. The world championships are set to take place in Montreal in March following the Olympics.
Live coverage of the medal rounds can be viewed on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. For the full live streaming schedule, visit the provided link.
