Three times gold, a double and a silver medal in four finals. Saturday in Seoul, the Canadian short track speed skating team was dominant on the ice of the South Korean capital.
On the men’s side, Steven Dubois and Jordan Pierre-Gilles monopolized the first two steps of the 500m podium. In the other men’s final of the day, William Dandjinou once again won the 1500m.
Victorious in the 1000m at the Beijing stage last week, Danaé Blais continued her momentum by obtaining silver at this distance. Later, she teamed up with Kim Boutin, Florence Brunelle and Courtney Sarault to finish first in the women’s 3000m relay.
Two finals, two victories and three medals
In the men’s 500m final, Dubois was in the lead and Pierre-Gilles was third when the bell sounded announcing the last lap. Dubois was able to protect his lead while behind, the Sherbrookois narrowly beat the Lithuanian Roberts Kruzbergs on the line to take the silver medal from him.
“I am very happy with my performance today (Saturday). It feels good to return to the podium, especially with Steven, admitted Pierre-Gilles. It’s incredible to share a podium with a teammate who is also a friend. I’m also happy with the way I was able to do this. »
In the 1500m, William Dandjinou continued to surpass this distance as he won his third final since the start of the current campaign. The only victory that escaped him was that of the Beijing stage last week, where he placed second.
The Montrealer crossed the finish line with a lead of several meters over his teammate Steven Dubois who was then disqualified, as was Félix Roussel, also a finalist.
Blais and the women’s relay continue their momentum
Danaé Blais had won the first individual gold medal of her career on the circuit a week earlier in China. The skater from Châteauguay proved once again that she was part of the world elite with her second place in the 1000m on Saturday. The Quebecer was in the lead until entering the last corner when she was overtaken on the inside by the South Korean Kim Gilli.
“I arrived in the final with a confidence that is completely new to me, because I know that I am now capable of winning. It was the first time I found myself a little further back in the peloton and I got back to the front halfway through the race. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the legs to block the South Korean who finished first. Despite everything, I managed to keep everyone else behind,” Blais told Sportcomwithout being too disappointed.
Being part of the headliners brings its share of novelties for the 25-year-old athlete, including greater pressure to achieve results and also to be more in the spotlight. She was also the Canadian athlete selected for the international federation’s promotional photo session on the sidelines of the fourth installment of the circuit.
“I’m proud of the way I handled this pressure, because I stayed focused on what I had to do, without thinking about winning or having a medal. I didn’t have a huge amount of stress and I didn’t collapse under the pressure. I’m really happy with that,” continues the woman who is happy to “get closer to perfection. »
This perfection is taking shape among the Canadian women’s relay which signed a third victory in four finals this season. In fact, the only victory that eluded the representatives of the maple leaf was that of the first stage in Montreal, where they were still the fastest before being disqualified.
“There is no doubt that we are the team to beat at the moment. This year we are trying a lot to race forward and we have five skaters who are capable of racing ahead and winning,” added Blais.
The season is far from over, except that the country’s representatives, women and men, are now the favorites to win the crystal globe which will be awarded to the nation which finishes at the top of the general ranking at the end of the season. In the provisional ranking, Canada has 5430 points ahead of South Korea which is at 4548 points.
“That’s our goal as a team. That motivates us a lot and we’re not afraid to say that we want the globe! » concluded the skater.
The conclusion of the Seoul World Circuit stage will be contested on Sunday.
