Three-time Olympic medalist Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke, Quebec won three medals in two days at the 2019 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. On March 9, Boutin won the silver medal in the women’s 1500 metres and on March 10, Boutin won the bronze medal in the women’s 1000 metres and a bronze medal in the women’s 3000 metre relay.
In the women’s 1500 metres, Boutin had a second place time of 2:29.803. Min Jeong Choi of South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 2:29.741. Sofia Prosvirnova of Russia won the bronze medal with a time of 2:29.843. Boutin reached the podium by 0.158 seconds over Ji Yoo Kim of South Korea, who was in fourth place with a time of 2:29.961.
In the women’s 1000 metres, Boutin had a third place time of 1:29.211. Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands won the gold medal with a time of 1:28.986. Choi won the silver medal with a time of 1:29.187. Boutin reached the podium by 1.468 seconds over Kim, who had a fourth place time of 1:30.679.
In the women’s 3000 metre relay, Boutin, Camille de Serres-Rainville, Alyson Charles and Courtney Lee Sarault of Montreal, Quebec had a third place time of 4:14.984. South Korea won gold with a time of 4:13.904. Russia won silver with a time of 4:14.353. Canada reached the podium by 6.767 seconds over the Netherlands, who were in fourth place with a time of 4:21.751.
Team Canada also captured a fourth medal. It came from Canadian Olympic gold medalist Samuel Girard in the men’s 1500 metres. Girard, who won the gold medal in the men’s 1000 metres short track speed skating at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, had a second place time in the men’s 1500 metres of 2:31.685. Hyo Jun Lim of South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 2:31.632. June Seo Lee of South Korea won the bronze medal with a time of 2:31.717. Girard reached the podium by 0.129 seconds over Canadian Steven Dubois of Lachenaie, Quebec, who was in fourth place with a time of 2:31.814. The medals for Girard, Boutin, de Serres-Rainville, Charles and Sarault will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
