The Canadian short track speed skating team had a successful showing at the ISU World Tour event in Montreal, adding three more medals to their tally. Courtney Sarault from Moncton, N.B., secured her second gold medal by winning the women’s 1,500-meter final in a time of 2:22.156 at Maurice Richard Arena. Sarault, who won the 1,000m final the day before, outpaced Kim Gil-li from South Korea and Corinne Stoddard from the United States for the second consecutive day. She had previously won silver in both distances at the last year’s world championships in Beijing.
Expressing her satisfaction, Sarault commented, “I felt I raced well in my 1,500m win, I was in front and strong. I’m happy that all my hard work and training is paying off. It’s nice when you train for something and get results.”
Another Canadian Olympian, Kim Boutin, earned a silver medal in the women’s 500m event with a time of 43.087 seconds. The world champion from Sherbrooke, Que., finished behind Xandra Velzeboer from the Netherlands, while Stoddard secured the bronze.
The Canadian Ice Maples claimed a bronze in the mixed team relay after the Korean White Tigers were disqualified. The Chinese Loongs clinched the gold, and the Dutch Lions were upgraded to silver.
Overall, Canada amassed seven medals in the first World Tour stop, including three gold, one silver, and three bronze, placing them at the top of the medal standings. They are currently second in the Team Crystal Globe ranking with 1,376 points, with Sarault leading the women’s trophy race with 250 points.
The World Tour season plays a crucial role in determining Olympic entries and participants for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games in February. Athletes earn points throughout the season, with a Crystal Globe trophy awarded to the leading skater in each distance and the overall champion. Additionally, there is a team Crystal Globe for the country with the most points.
Looking ahead, Montreal will host the next World Tour stop before moving on to Poland and the Netherlands. The world championships are also scheduled to take place in Montreal in March, shortly after the Olympics. Live coverage of the events can be watched on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.