It was a spectacular weekend at a World Cup short track speed skating event in Montreal, Quebec over the last 48 hours. In all, Canada won 10 medals–seven gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal. It was an unbelievable weekend for William Dandjinou of Sherbrooke, Quebec, who won five gold medals. Dandjinou won gold in the men’s 500 metres, men’s 1000 metres, men’s 1500 metres, the 2000 metre mixed relay, and the men’s 5000 metre relay. He is emerging as the face of the Canadian Olympic team at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Amprezzo.
In the men’s 500 metres on Saturday, Dandjinou had a winning time of 41.126 seconds. Shaoang Liu of China won the silver medal with a time of 41.225 seconds. Long Sun of China won the bronze medal with a time of 52.606 seconds. Dandjinou reached the podium by 18.294 seconds over Pietro Sighel of Italy, who had a fourth place time of 59.420 seconds. Dandjinou leads the World Cup men’s 500 metre standings with 200 points. Sighel is in second with 140 points.
In the men’s 1000 metres on Sunday, Dandjinou and Canadian Olympic gold medalist Steven Dubois of Laval, Quebec won gold and silver respectively. Dandjinou had a winning time of 1:25.417. Dubois won the silver medal with a time of 1:25.465. Daeheon Hwang of China won the bronze medal with a time of 1:25.587. Dandjinou reached the podium by 0.722 seconds over fellow Canadian Olympic gold medalist Felix Roussel of Sherbrooke, who had a fourth place time of 1:26.139. Dubois reached the podium by 0.674 seconds. In the World Cup men’s 1000 metre standings, Sighel leads with 150 points, Dandjinou is in second with 132 points, and Dubois is in third with 124 points.
In the men’s 1500 metres on Saturday, Dandjinou and Dubois won gold and bronze respectively. Dandjnou had a winning time of 2:13.217. Dubois’s bronze medal winning time was 2:13.575. Shogo Miyata of Japan won the silver medal with a time of 2:13.406. Dandjinou reached the podium by 0.63 seconds and Dubois reached the podium by 0.272 seconds over Thomas Nadalini of Italy, who had a fourth place time of 2:13.847. In the World Cup men’s 1500 metre standings, Dandjinou is in second place with 110 points and Dubois is in sixth place with 70 points. Miyata leads with 130 points.
In the mixed 2000 metre relay on Sunday, Dandjinou and Roussel teamed up with Danae Blais of Chateauguay, Quebec and Courtney Sarault of Moncton, New Brunswick. Team Canada had a winning time of 2:37.599. South Korea won the silver medal with a time of 2:38.004. Poland won the bronze medal with a time of 2:38.135. Canada reached the podium by 12.876 seconds over the Netherlands, who had a fourth place time of 2:50.475. In the World Cup mixed relay standings, Canada leads with 170 points. China is in second place with 150 points.
In the men’s 5000 metre relay on Sunday, Dandjinou, Roussel, Canadian Olympic gold medalist Maxime Laoun of Montreal, and Dubois had a winning time of 6:57.743. The Netherlands won the silver medal with a time of 6:58.372. Italy won the bronze medal with a time of 6:58.686. Canada reached the podium by 2.031 seconds over the United States, who had a fourth place time of 6:59.774. Canada actually went from fourth to first in the final. In the World Cup men’s 5000 metre relay standings, Canada leads with 160 points. South Korea is in second place with 150 points.
In the women’s 500 metres on Sunday, Sarault won the silver medal with a time of 42.326 seconds. Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands won the gold medal with a time of 42.258 seconds. Kristen Santos-Griswold of the United States won the bronze medal with a time of 42.429 seconds. Sarault reached the podium by 0.147 seconds over Corinne Stoddard of the United States, who had a fourth place time of 42.473 seconds. In the women’s 500 metre World Cup standings, Sarault is in second place with 130 points. Velzeboer leads with 200 points.
In the women’s 1000 metres on Saturday, Sarault won the gold medal with a time of 1:27.896. Minjeong Choi of South Korea won the silver medal with a time of 1:28.165. Velzeboer won the bronze medal with a time of 1:28.235. In the women’s 1000 metre World Cup standings, Sarault leads with 200 points. Stoddard is in second with 130 points.
In the women’s 3000 metre relay on Saturday, Sarault, Blais, Canadian Olympic silver medalist Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke, and Florence Brunelle of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec won the gold medal with a winning time of 4:07.341. South Korea won the silver medal with a time of 4:07.517. Japan won the bronze medal with a time of 4:10.081. Canada reached the podium by 15.286 seconds over the Netherlands, which had a fourth place time of 4:22.627. In the World Cup standings, Canada is in second place with 170 points. South Korea leads with 180 points.
Dubois, Laoun and Roussel won their Olympic gold medals in the men’s 5000 metre relay at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Boutin won her Olympic silver medal in the women’s 1000 metres at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. The medals for Sarault, Blais, Brunelle, Boutin, Dubois, Dandjinou, Laoun and Roussel will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
