Dandjinou shines, Canada caps off dominant ISU Short Track weekend with five medals
Canada continued to shine on the final day of the ISU Short Track World Tour, adding five medals including a double podium, and yet another dominant performance from their top skater.
William Dandjinou earned his third individual gold medal of the weekend on Sunday, as he completed the sweep of the 500m, 1000m and 1500m races. On Sunday he captured the 1000m, racing to a time of 1 minute, 25.42 seconds, and beating out country-mate Steven Dubois by fourth-tenths of a second. Daeheon Hwang of Korea crossed the finished with a time of 1:25.59.
Dandjinou had his fastest time of the weekend in the heats where he crossed the finish line in under 25 seconds. That set him up for a semifinal race in which he also finished with the fastest time, before claiming the gold.
The 24-year-old is coming off of a hot start to the season. He captured a 500m gold the previous weekend in Montreal during the first leg of the tour. Dandjinou is the defending Crystal Globe champion in men’s overall short track. He was also instrumental last season in helping Canada become the inaugural ISU Team Crystal Globe champions.
Dandjinou did not stop there as he joined Dubois, Felix Roussel, and Maxime Laoun to win another gold in the men’s 5000m relay.
Despite trailing for most of the race, Canada took the lead from the Netherlands with just four laps remaining. Despite leading for most of the race, the Dutch finished 0.6 seconds shy of the Canadians. Italy rounded out the podium with a bronze.
In the mixed team relay (2000m), the Canadian quartet won the gold medal thanks to a great all-around performance. Canada edged out South Korea and Poland, who finished second and third respectively.
The Canadians crossed the finish line in 2:37.599, just over half a second ahead of the South Koreans (2:38.004). Poland rounded out the podium with a time of 2:38.135. Team Canada started the race in second place, but on the 11th lap Canada took the lead and didn’t look back.
The final medal in the day came in the women’s 500m as Courtney Sarault earned her second medal of the weekend. Sarault crossed the finish line just shy of Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands. Sarault raced a nearly identical race to her semifinal – just 0.003 seconds slower – but it still would not have been enough to beat Velzeboer who raced to a fantastic result.
Sarault also finished fourth in the 1500m, nearly missing out on the podium after earning gold in the event last week.
Dandjinou and Sarault top podium on Saturday in Montreal
Dandjinou was the first Canadian to reach the top of the podium, capturing gold in the men’s 500m. In a race marked by two early falls, the 24-year-old skater finished in 41.126 seconds. He edged out China’s Shaoang Liu (41.225) and Long Sun (52.606).
But the Canadian wasn’t done yet. Later in the day, he returned to the ice and struck gold again in the 1500m. In a final with a strong Canadian flavour featuring three skaters from the Érables de glace, the Sherbrooke resident finished the race in 2:13.217. Japan’s Miyata Shogo (2:13.406) claimed silver, while Canada’s Steven Dubois (2:13.575) took bronze.
Félix Roussel had crossed the line in second but was disqualified after receiving a yellow card for dangerous behavior. The result marks a significant turnaround from last week, when no Canadian men made the 1500m podium.
READ: Sarault golden again, Boutin captures silver at ISU short track opener in Montreal
On the women’s side, Courtney Sarault recorded her second triumph in as many weeks in the 1000m. She claimed gold ahead of Korea’s Minjeong Choi (1:28.165) and the Netherlands’ Xandra Velzeboer (1:28.253).
Sarault also took gold in the 1500m last weekend and will aim to repeat that feat on Sunday’s final day of competition.
Canada closed out the day with a thrilling victory in the women’s 3000m relay. Sarault anchored the team in a neck-and-neck battle with Korea, securing gold in the final lap. She was joined on the podium by teammates Danaé Blais, Florence Brunelle, Kim Boutin, and Rikki Doak.
The third stop on the ISU Short Track World Tour will take place in Gdansk, Poland, from November 20 to 23.
