Laurent Dubreuil has secured a spot on the speed skating podium by winning the bronze medal in the 500 meters event at the Olympics, making up for narrowly missing a medal four years ago by a fraction of a second.
At 33 years old, Dubreuil, the oldest competitor among 29 athletes, clocked in at 34.26 seconds at Milano Speed Skating Stadium, securing Canada’s fifth bronze and eighth overall medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Prior to this achievement, the most recent Canadian to claim bronze in the men’s 500 meters was Kevin Overlund at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, with Jeremy Wotherspoon clinching silver in the same race.
In the 2022 Beijing Olympics on February 12, Dubreuil finished with a time of 34.522 but narrowly missed the podium after winning silver in the men’s 1,000 meters event.
Expressing his emotions, Dubreuil stated to CBC Sports, “It feels incredible. For four years, I thought I’m too good to not have a medal in the 500 at the Olympics. It was a long road to get here. I’ve had a hard season [and it’s] my first medal, but I managed to keep believing.”
The previous Olympic record set by China’s Gao Tingyu was broken by Jordan Stolz, an American skater, who set a new Games record of 33.37 seconds. Reigning world champion Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands secured the silver with a time of 33.88.
Despite facing a threat from Damian Zurek of Poland, who finished fourth, Dubreuil maintained his position on the podium with a strong performance.
Dubreuil’s children, Rose and Nathan, witnessed their father’s victorious moment, a dream come true for Dubreuil, who hopes to set a good example for them through hard work and perseverance.
In a remarkable achievement, Jordan Stolz became only the second man to achieve the 500-1,000 double at one Olympics, following in the footsteps of Eric Heiden from the 1980 Lake Placid Games. Stolz, aiming for four victories in Italy, is halfway to his goal after setting a Games record in the 1,000 meters event.
Canadian women Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin, and Valérie Maltais also showcased their prowess by posting the fastest time in the women’s team pursuit quarterfinals, setting the stage for an exciting semifinal race against the U.S. on Tuesday. The trio previously set an Olympic record four years ago and have been in top form leading up to the current Games.