Team Canada won seven medals this past weekend at a World Cup short track speed skating event in Gdansk, Poland. William Dandjinou of Sherbrooke, Quebec won a gold medal in the men’s 500 metres and men’s 1500 metres. Courtney Lee Sarault of Moncton, New Brunswick won the silver medal in the women’s 1000 metres and bronze in the women’s 1500 metres. Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Steven Dubois of Laval, Quebec won the bronze medal in the men’s 500 metre and men’s 1000 metre. Dubois, Dandjinou, Sarault, and Florence Brunelle of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec won bronze in the mixed relay.
In the men’s 500 metres on Saturday, Dandjinou had a winning time of 40.849 seconds. Xiaojun Lin of China won the silver medal with a time of 41.12 seconds. Dubois had a third place time of 41.505 seconds. Dandjinou reached the podium by 1.08 seconds and Dubois reached the podium by 0.424 seconds. Brandon Kim of the United States finished in fourth place with a time of 41.920 seconds. Dandjinou leads the World Tour standings in the men’s 500 metres, with 300 points. Dubois is second with 184 points.
In the men’s 1000 metres on Sunday, Dubois had a third place time of 1:25.283. Jens Van ‘T Wout of the Netherlands won the gold medal with a time of 1:25.147. Pietro Sighel of Italy won the silver medal with a time of 1:25.283. Dubois reached the podium by 0.149 seconds. Xiaojun Lin of China finished in fourth place with a time of 1:25.432. In the World Tour Men’s 1000m standings, Dubois in in second with 194 points. Sighel leads with 230 points.
In the men’s 1500 metres on Saturday, Dandjinou had a winning time of 2:24.153. Thomas Nadalini of Italy won the silver medal with a time of 2:24.215. Sighel won the bronze medal with a time of 2:24.288. Dandjinou reached the podium by 0.473 seconds over Shogo Miyata of Japan, who had a fourth place time of 2:24.626. In the World Tour standings in the men’s 1500 metres, Dandjinou leads with 210 points. Miyata is second with 190 points.
In the women’s 1000 metres on Saturday, Sarault won the silver medal with a time of 1:30.575. Hanne Desmet of Belgium won the gold medal with a time of 1;30.422. Corinne Stoddard of the United States won the bronze medal with a time of 1;30.589. Sarault reached the podium by 0.141 seconds over Brunelle, who had a fourth place time of 1;30.716. In the women’s 1000 metres standings, Sarault leads with 280 points. Desmet is second with 204 points.
In the women’s 1500 metres on Sunday, Sarault won the bronze medal with a time of 2;30.985. Gilli Kim of South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 2:30.616. Minjeong Choi of South Korea won the silver medal with a time of 2:30.656. Sarault reached the podium by 0.137 seconds over Stoddard, who had a fourth place time of 2:31.122. In the World Tour standings in the women’s 1500 metres, Sarault leads with 230 points. Kim is second with 224 points.
In the mixed team relay, Canada had a third place time of 2;40.478. South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 2:40.155. The Netherlands won the silver medal with a time of 2:40.244. Canada reached the podium by 0.768 seconds over China, which had a fourth place time of 2:41.246.
Dubois won a gold medal for Canada in the men’s 5000 metre relay at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. The medals for Sarault, Dubois, Dandjinou and Brunelle in Poland will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
