Canada strikes gold at ISU short track opener in Montreal
Canada kicked off the short track season in emphatic fashion, earning three medals on home ice at the ISU Short Track Speed Skating: World Tour in Montreal. William Dandjinou and Courtney Sarault both captured gold, while Steven Dubois added a bronze in a thrilling start to the 2025–26 campaign.
Dandjinou, 24, continued his remarkable rise with a wire-to-wire performance in the men’s 500 m, clocking a winning time of 40.350 seconds. The Montreal native edged out Italy’s Pietro Sighel (40.414) by a fraction of a second, while compatriot Steven Dubois (40.480) secured bronze. Fellow Canadian Maxime Laoun finished just off the podium in fourth at 40.557.
Sarault, 25, followed with a composed victory in the women’s 1000 m, posting a time of 1:28.185 to edge South Korea’s Gilli Kim (1:28.250) and American Corinne Stoddard (1:28.279). The Moncton native controlled the pace through the final lap and surged ahead in the last straightaway to secure gold.
Dubois, 28, capped a stellar day for the home team, returning to form after an injury-affected offseason. His explosive start and late-race control helped him hold off teammate Laoun to claim a well-earned bronze in the men’s sprint final.
The World Tour continues Sunday at Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal.
