Sarault, Dandjinou secure women’s, men’s titles at Canadian short track championships
Courtney Sarault Dominates National Short Track Speedskating Championships
Courtney Sarault continued her impressive run at the national short track speedskating championships, securing two more wins to extend her gold-medal streak to nine and claim the women’s overall title. The Moncton native’s dominant performance saw her accumulate 30,000 points across her top six distances, comfortably ahead of her closest competitor, Kim Boutin, who finished with 21,760 points.
Sarault’s stellar performance on Sunday included a victory in the 1,500-metre event with a time of two minutes 39.528 seconds, earning her eighth gold medal of the competition. The 25-year-old capped off her remarkable showing with another gold in the 500, finishing in 42.988 seconds.
“It feels unbelievable,” Sarault expressed. “I didn’t expect to have such great results coming into this competition, but I’m thrilled with how things turned out. I’m incredibly proud of myself for what I’ve accomplished.”
On the men’s side, Montreal’s William Dandjinou emerged as the national champion, narrowly edging out teammate Felix Roussel by 1,000 points to defend his overall title with 28,000 points. Dandjinou and Roussel were locked in a tight battle in the 1,500 final before a last-minute pass attempt resulted in a crash into the protective mats, allowing Mathieu Pelletier to claim victory in 2:16.603.
Dandjinou, despite the setback, managed to secure silver in the 500 with a time of 41.666 seconds. Maxime Laoun clinched gold in the event with a time of 41.049, while Pelletier settled for bronze in 41.755. Roussel finished fifth in the race.
“I feel pretty good,” Dandjinou reflected. “It’s been a challenging couple of weekends, but I’m happy with how I performed. However, I know there’s room for improvement, and I still have a lot of work to do to reach my full potential.”
The national short track speedskating championships showcased the incredible talent and determination of Canada’s top skaters, with Sarault and Dandjinou emerging as deserving champions in their respective categories. Their impressive performances set the stage for an exciting season ahead as they continue to push the boundaries of their sport.
