Courtney Sarault and Florence Brunelle win gold in Tilburg
Team Canada continues to collect gold medals at the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Tilburg, Netherlands, as Courtney Sarault and Florence Brunelle triumphed in the 1,500m and 500m, respectively.
Sarault finished second, but was handed the top spot when Belgian Hanne Desmet was penalized for passing and causing another competitor to crash. The New Brunswick native clocked a time of 2:27.388, followed by Italian Elisa Confortola (2:27.406) and American Corinne Stoddard (2:27.525).
Shortly after, Florence Brunelle followed her teammate’s golden lead but in the 500m, securing Team Canada’s fourth gold medal of the weekend.
The Quebecer won in 43.141 seconds against Dutchwoman Michelle Velzeboer (43.257), who finished second, and the American Kristen Santos-Griswold (43.500), who rounded out the podium.
On the men’s side, William Dandjinou was unable to repeat his wins of the day before in the 1000m due to a fall and a yellow card. His teammate Félix Roussel also suffered a fall during the same race. Both skaters were excluded from the podium.
In the 5000m relay, the Canadian quartet of Steven Dubois, Maxime Laoun, Jordan Pierre-Gilles and Félix Roussel had to settle for fourth place, behind the Italians, the Belgians and the Dutch, who won gold.
Dandjinou wins again in the 1500m, Canadian double in the 500m
Dandjinou continues to dominate the 1,500-metre distance on the World Tour short-track speed skating circuit, adding yet another gold medal to his stellar season.
The 23-year-old secured gold on Saturday in Tilburg, Netherlands, marking his fourth victory in five races. This latest win pushes Dandjinou’s total in the overall 1,500-metre standings to an overwhelming 1,012 points. Dutch skater Jens van ‘t Wout trails far behind with 660 points — a testament to the Montreal native’s dominance at this distance.
On Saturday, Dandjinou surged to an early lead, his powerful strides cutting smoothly through each turn. Van ‘t Wout stayed close behind, but Dandjinou executed each curve flawlessly, expertly defending his position and holding off his Dutch rival. As he crossed the finish line, he threw his arms wide in celebration, confidently sealing his victory.
Dandjinou looked poised to add another medal in the men’s 500-metre event. However, officials disqualified him with a yellow card after he caused a fall during the race, cutting his additional medal hopes short.
Canada celebrated more success on Saturday when Dubois of Terrebonne, Quebec, captured gold in the men’s 500-metre final. He led a Canadian gold-silver finish alongside teammate Pierre-Gillies from Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Dubois, who earned bronze in the 500m at the 2022 Winter Olympics, edged out Pierre-Gillies with a winning time of 40.313 seconds. Van ‘t Wout (50.605) finished third, rounding out the podium in a highly competitive race. It was the fourth time this season that two Canadians stood together on the 500m podium, having achieved the feat at every World Tour stop except Beijing.
