Speed skater Florence Brunelle captures her 1st individual World Tour title
Canadian speed skaters Florence Brunelle and Courtney Sarault showcased their skills on Sunday at the Short Track World Tour in Tilburg, Netherlands, clinching gold medals in their respective events.
Brunelle, hailing from Trois-Rivieres, Que., secured her first career individual World Tour title by finishing first in the women’s 500 metres event. She completed the race in 43.141 seconds, narrowly edging out Michelle Velzeboer of the Netherlands and Kristen Santos-Griswold of the United States. This victory marked a significant milestone for the two-time world junior champion, who had previously claimed silver medals in Beijing and Korea earlier in the season.
Expressing her joy and pride, Brunelle stated, “I am extremely happy and proud. I knew that gold was possible, but it’s still important to make it happen. I’m most happy about the way I achieved it. Lots of things have happened in the last month that could have destabilized me. But, in the end, I knew that what would be most beneficial for me was to stay in the moment.”
On the other hand, Sarault from Moncton, N.B., emerged victorious in the women’s 1,500 final with a time of two minutes 27.388 seconds. Despite Belgium’s Hanne Desmet crossing the finish line first, she was penalized for making contact with Arianna Fontana of Italy. Sarault, who took the lead midway through the race, ultimately secured the gold medal, joined on the podium by Elisa Confortola of Italy and Corinne Stoddard of the United States.
Reflecting on her performance, Sarault remarked, “Yesterday, I fell a little bit short in the 1,000, so I knew that I only had two big efforts today and I was willing to really fight for it. I think I did the perfect race to get myself in the right spot at the right time. After the year I’ve had, I owed it to myself to just skate, be in the moment, and give myself the best chance by letting go of everything that has happened in the past.”
Despite some challenges faced by the Canadian team, including penalties for reigning world champion William Dandjinou and a controversial incident in the men’s relay, Canada managed to secure a total of five medals in Tilburg. The team’s success has propelled them to the top of the ISU Team Crystal Globe rankings, with the final World Tour stop scheduled to take place in Milan in February.
As Canadian speed skaters continue to excel on the international stage, fans can look forward to witnessing their talents in action at upcoming competitions.
