Canadians win 3 gold medals at short track worlds in Beijing

The Canadian short track speed skating team showcased their dominance at the world championships in Beijing, securing three gold medals and a silver on Saturday. The Canadian women’s relay team composed of Courtney Sarault from Moncton, Rikki Doak from Fredericton, Florence Brunelle from Trois-Rivières, and Kim Boutin from Sherbrooke clinched the gold in the 3,000-metre final. The team crossed the finish line in four minutes, 9.254 seconds, narrowly edging out the silver medallists from Poland (4:09.321) and the bronze medal-winning team from the Netherlands (4:09.392).

Montreal’s Will Dandjinou shone in the men’s 1,500m final, claiming the gold with a time of 2:15.064. Stijn Desmet from Belgium secured the silver with a time of (2:15.176), while Liu Shaoang from China grabbed the bronze medal with a time of (2:15.871).

In another impressive display of talent, Steven Dubois from Terrebonne, Que., seized the gold in the men’s 500m final, finishing in 40.008 seconds. Denis Nikisha from Kazakhstan followed closely behind for the silver (40.096), while Jens van’T Wout took the bronze with a time of (40.163).

Sarault continued to excel individually, earning a silver in the women’s 1,000m final. The gold in this event was claimed by Hanne Desmet from Belgium (1:28.641), with Sarault securing second place with a time of (1:28.929), just ahead of Dutch skater Xandra Velzeboer (1:28.991).

The Canadian skaters showcased their talent and determination at the short track worlds, with each athlete competing in various events. The full list of Canadian participants included William Dandjinou in the 500m, 1,000m, and 1,500m events, Steven Dubois in the 500m and 1,000m, Maxime Laoun in the 1,500m, Jordan Pierre-Gilles in the 500m, Félix Roussel in the 1,000m and 1,500m, Danaé Blais in the 1,000m and 1,500m, Kim Boutin in the 500m, Florence Brunelle in the 500m, 1,000m, and 1,500m, Rikki Doak in the 500m, and Courtney Sarault in the 1,000m and 1,500m. Additionally, each Canadian skater had the opportunity to compete in relays.

Fans can catch all the action by streaming every medal race live on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, with coverage starting at 2 a.m. ET on both Saturday and Sunday. For those looking to follow the events closely, the full schedule of events is available for reference.