Steven Dubois of Lachenaie, Quebec won two medals for Canada at a World Cup short track speed skating event in Dordrecht, Netherlands on Sunday in the final World Cup competition in the 2019-20 season. Dubois placed first in the men’s 5000 metre relay alongside Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Pascal Dion of Montreal, Quebec, three-time Olympic gold medalist Charles Hamelin of Levis, Quebec and Jordan Pierre-Gilles of Sherbrooke, Quebec. Dubois also won bronze in the men’s 1000 metres.
Team Canada came away with two other medals this past weekend. On Saturday, Cedrik Blais of Chateauguay, Quebec won silver in the men’s 1000 metres and on Sunday, Team Canada won the silver medal in the women’s 3000 metre relay. The Canadian team comprised of Danae Blais of Chateauguay, Quebec, Alyson Charles of Montreal, Quebec, Claudia Gagnon of Saguenay, Quebec and Courtney Lee Sarault of Moncton, New Brunswick.
In the men’s 1000 metres on Saturday, Cedrik Blais had a second place time of 1:33.739. Dagyeom Kim of South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 1:33.056. Itzhak de Laat of the Netherlands won the bronze medal with a time of 1:54.183. Blais reached the podium by 34.159 seconds over Jordan Pierre-Gillies of Sherbrooke, Quebec, who had a time of 2:07.998.
In the men’s 1000 metres on Sunday, Dubois had a third place time of 1:29.727. Ji Won Park of South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 1:29.402. Dong Wook Kim of South Korea won the silver medal with a time of 1:29.528. Dubois reached the podium by 0.16 seconds over Kai An of South Korea, who was in fourth place with a time of 1:29.887.
In the men’s 1000 metre World Cup standings, Dubois was in fifth place with 19612 points and Cedrik Blais was in 15th place with 8802 points. The World Cup champion in the distance was Park with 49200 points.
In the women’s 3000 metre relay on Sunday, Canada had a second place time of 4:10.74. The Netherlands won the gold medal with a time of 4:10.255. South Korea won the bronze medal with a time of 4:10.772. Canada reached the podium by .131 seconds over Russia, who was in fourth place with a time of 4:10.871.
Canada finished in second place in the women’s 3000 metre World Cup standings with 32400 points. The Netherlands were the World Cup champion with 33120 points.
In the men’s 5000 metre relay on Sunday, Canada had a winning time of 6:54.542. The Netherlands won the silver medal with a time of 6:54.573. China won the bronze medal with a time of 6:54.839. Team Canada finished in sixth place in the World Cup standings in the men’s 5000 metre relay with 20175 points. Russia was the World Cup champion with 34400 points.
Dion won a bronze medal in the men’s 5000 metre relay at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. Hamelin won the gold medal in the men’s 500 metres and men’s 5000 metre relay at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and in the men’s 1500 metres at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. The medals for Dubois, Dion, Hamelin, Gilles, Cedrik Blais, Danae Blais, Charles, Gagnon and Sarault will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
