Steven Dubois of Laval, Quebec, got things started quickly for Team Canada on the opening day of the ISU World Cup Short Track season in Montreal, as he won Canada’s first medal of the 2023-24 season, finishing second in the men’s 1,000 metres at the Maurice Richard Arena.
After winning his semifinal heat, Dubois came close to victory in the final. Still, a video review confirmed that South Korea’s Ji Won Park had slightly edged him, crossing the line .13 seconds ahead of the Canadians’ time of 1:24.91. Italy’s Pietro Sieghel took the bronze medal, while William Dandjinou was the second-best Canadian, winning the B-Final.
Yet the podium performance wasn’t all for Dubois on the day, as he and Dandjinou, alongside Pascal Dion and Jordan Pierre-Gilles, helped drive Canada to a win in the semifinal of the men’s 5,000m relay, punching their ticket to the final on Sunday.
Just mere minutes before the men qualified, Canada’s women’s 3,000m relay team of Danae Blais, Florence Brunelle, Courtney Sarault and Renée Marie Steenge also capped off their Saturday competition by qualifying for Sunday’s final, winning the semifinal after taking advantage of a slight collision between Italy and the Netherlands.
Sarault and Brunelle also finished as the best Canadians in the women’s 1,000m, crossing the finish line in first and second in the B-Final after narrowly missing out on the A-Final in their semifinal heat.
Meanwhile, Blais of Châteauguay, Quebec, sailed through the quarterfinal and semifinal stages of the women’s 1,500 metre, punching her ticket to the A-Final, where she finished sixth with a time of 2:29.55. At the same time, Belgium’s Hanne Desmet won the event in 2:27.863. South Korea’s Gilli Kim took the distance silver medal, while the USA’s Corinne Stoddard took bronze.
Claudia Gagnon was the next best Canadian in the 1,500m, winning the B-Final.
In the men’s 1,500m A-Final, heartbreak hit for Sherbrooke, Quebec native Félix Roussel, who crashed into the side boards after losing an edge on a turn before eventually finishing seventh. However, he finished second in his semifinal heat, skating the distance in 2:15.82.
Maxime Laoun was the lone other Canadian to make the men’s 1,500m semifinal before he finished third in the B-Final.
The Montreal stop of the ISU World Cup Short Track season continues on Sunday, October 22, with the 500m and another set of 1000m races in addition to the finals of the men’s and women’s relays, where Canada will race for a medal.
Source : Olympic