Canada’s short track speed skaters had a strong start to the ISU World Tour season in Montreal, clinching gold and bronze medals. Local skater William Dandjinou impressed the crowd by winning the men’s 500 meters, while Courtney Sarault from Moncton, N.B., secured gold in the women’s 1,000m event.
Dandjinou, a 24-year-old standout athlete, led the race from start to finish, clocking a time of 40.350 seconds at Maurice Richard Arena. He outpaced Italy’s Pietro Sighel (40.414) to claim the gold medal. Meanwhile, three-time Olympic medallist Steven Dubois from Lachenaie, Que., grabbed the bronze in 40.480 seconds, just ahead of Montreal’s Maxime Laoun (40.557).
Dubois, the reigning world champion in this distance, made a remarkable comeback from injury to secure the bronze. Expressing his satisfaction, Dubois mentioned his injury holding up well and feeling confident about upcoming competitions.
In the women’s category, Sarault dominated the competition, winning the race in 1:28.185. She outperformed Kim Gil-li from South Korea (1:28.250) and Corinne Stoddard from the United States (1:28.279). Sarault expressed her excitement about starting the season with a victory, boosting team morale and confidence for future competitions.
Later, Sarault contributed to Team Canada’s success by clinching bronze in the women’s 3,000m relay alongside Danaé Blais, Kim Boutin, and Florence Brunelle. The team finished with a time of 4:07.45, securing a podium spot on the first day of the tournament.
The ISU Short Track World Tour event in Montreal will continue on Sunday, with live coverage available on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. The competition will play a crucial role in determining the Olympic entries for each country and the participants in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games in February.