Hamelin wins two gold medals at 2018 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships

Charles Hamelin (Wikimedia Commons)

Charles Hamelin of Levis, Quebec won two gold medals at the 2018 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Montreal. In placing first in the men’s 1000m and 1500m, he won his very first overall title.

Hamelin had a winning time in the A Final of the men’s 1000m on Sunday of 1:22.249. Hyo Jun Lim of South Korea won the silver medal with a time of 1:22.283. Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands won the bronze medal with a time of 1:22.413. Hamelin earned a medal by 31.019 seconds over Dae Heon Hwang of South Korea, who finished in fourth place with a time of 1:53.268.

Hamelin had a winning time in the A Final of the men’s 1500m on Saturday of 2:12.982. Lim won the silver medal with a time of 2:13.157. Semen Elistratov of Russia won the bronze medal with a time of 2:13.312. Hamelin earned a medal by 0.614 seconds over Shaolin Sandor Liu of Hungary, who finished in fourth place with a time of 2:13.596.

Hamelin also was part of the Canadian team that won the silver medal in the men’s 5000m relay on Sunday. Hamelin joined Charle Cournoyer of Boucherville, Quebec, Samuel Girard of Ferland-et-Boilleau, Quebec and Pascal Dion of Montreal, Quebec. Canada had a second place time of 6:44.437. South Korea won gold with a time of 6:44.267. Japan won bronze with a time of 6:44.587. Canada earned a medal by 1.217 seconds over the Netherlands, who finished in fourth place with a time of 6:45.651.

Hamelin meanwhile becomes the seventh Canadian to win the men’s overall title at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships. He joined the legendary long track speed skating specialist Gaetan Boucher of Charlesbourg, Quebec (1977, 1980), Benoit Baril of Quebec City, Quebec (1981), Guy Daignault of Montreal, Quebec (1982, 1984), Louis Grenier of Sainte-Foy, Quebec (1983), Michel Daignault of Montreal, Quebec (1987, 1989) and Marc Gagnon of Chicoutimi, Quebec (1993, 1994, 1996 and 1998).

On the women’s side, Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke, Quebec won the bronze medal in the A Final of the women’s 1500m on Saturday. Boutin had a third place time of 2:23.592. Min Jeong Choi of South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 2:23.351. Suk Hee Shim of South Korea won the silver medal with a time of 2:23.468. Boutin earned her medal by .017 seconds over Kim A Lang of South Korea, who was in fourth place with a time of 2:23.609.

Boutin then won a second medal in the women’s 3000m relay. Boutin, along with Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Quebec, Marianne St-Gelais of Roberval, Quebec and Kasandra Bradette of Saint-Felicien, Quebec had a third place time of 4:09.198. South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 4:07.569. Netherlands won the silver medal with a time of 4:09.054.

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