Canada wraps up Milano Cortina 2026 with five short track speed skating medals
The final short track speed skating events of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games were held on Friday.
The Canadians were looking to defend their Olympic title in the men’s 5000m relay final, while Courtney Sarault, Kim Boutin and Danaé Blais were competing in the women’s 1500m quarterfinals, aiming to advance all the way to the final, which capped off the Olympic program.
Boutin saw her run end in the semifinals. Blais competed in the B final, as did Sarault after an unfortunate fall in her semifinal, a race in which only one skater managed to stay on her feet. Sarault ultimately finished second in a B final that felt like a championship race, given the presence of several event favourites.
“That’s short track for you. It was an unfortunate race; four of us went down. Xandra [Velzeboer] and I caught the same crack in the ice, and since I’d hit someone’s blades at the start, I think I’d already stripped my edge. I was unstable from the beginning,” explained Sarault.
“When my one stable foot hit that crack, there was no way to recover my center of gravity. I’m not someone who usually falls like that—I’m actually quite sturdy—so it was a mix of shock and heartbreak.”
Despite the abrupt end to her competition, Sarault delivered an outstanding Games, winning four medals. To her silver in the mixed relay, she added silver in the 1000m as well as bronze medals in the 500m and the women’s 3000m relay.
“I’m still processing it, and it’s a bittersweet way to end. I wanted to go down fighting in the 1500m. I felt like I could have put up a strong fight, so it’s disappointing, but it is what it is,” said the skater from Moncton, New Brunswick.
In the men’s relay final, the quartet of William Dandjinou, Steven Dubois, Félix Roussel and Maxime Laoun took the lead early in the 45-lap race. They were overtaken by the Dutch with 32 laps remaining, and then by the Italians shortly after. With 14 laps to go, the Canadians slipped to fourth after being passed by South Korea.
A difficult second-to-last exchange sealed Canada’s fate. Despite a late push down the final straight, anchor skater Dandjinou was unable to catch his Italian rival.
“I don’t even know what happened. I can just tell you we are disappointed with the result. Not the way we wanted to end the race. We are going to look at it again in the next few days and then prepare ourselves for the world championships (in March),” Dubois said after the final.
The fourth-place finish was especially bitter for Dandjinou, adding to his fourth place performance in the 1000m and fifth place finishes in the 500m and 1500m.
“I didn’t even know it was possible to finish fourth that many times in one Games. My promise still stands, you’ll see me in four years,” said Dandjinou, the two-time Crystal Globe winner on the ISU Short Track World Tour.
It marks only the third time since short track speed skating made its Olympic debut at Albertville 1992 that Canada has missed the podium in the men’s relay.
Friday also marked the final Olympic race of Kim Boutin’s career. With six career medals—two silver and four bronze—she shares, with Cindy Klassen and Charles Hamelin, the title of most decorated Canadian Winter Olympian.
Boutin, who has announced that she will retire at the end of the season, was both emotional and proud.
“I’m really proud to have been on the circuit for so many years. It’s an honour to compete at the highest level for that long. I’m happy I did it.
“It wasn’t the ideal day for Canada. But they’re all incredible people I wanted to share great moments with.
“Unfortunately, today we experienced the tougher side of short track,” said the 31-year-old athlete.
Boutin, who took a break during the previous Olympic cycle, reflected on how adjusting her training and competition schedule allowed her to fall back in love with the sport.
“I think adapting an Olympic cycle to where I was in my life is what I’m most proud of. I haven’t always been happy in this sport, but I found a healthy path that suited me, allowed me to become world champion and continue improving.”
The veteran of the team admitted she had some difficulty adjusting to a revamped squad at the Beijing 2022 Games. Four years later, that challenge has become one of her greatest personal achievements.
“I think that’s my biggest pride — adapting to this group and building real bonds in a world of competition. You don’t realize that you’re always together. I became very attached to them, and I’ll miss them.”
Canada’s short track speed skating team finishes the Olympic fortnight with five medals. In addition to Sarault’s two individual medals, Canada earned two relay medals and a gold medal from Dubois in the 500m.
Boutin, Sarault, Dandjinou, Roussel, Florence Brunelle and Dubois contributed to the silver medal in the mixed relay, while Sarault, Boutin, Brunelle and Blais captured bronze in the women’s relay.
With his first individual Olympic title, Dubois, a three-time medallist at Beijing 2022, now has five Olympic medals in his career: two gold, two silver and one bronze.
Dubois experienced an up-and-down Olympic Games. Before his redemption with gold in the 500m, he fell in the 1000m heats and placed sixth in the 1500m final.
“I am happy with how I’ve skated but I’ve had some disappointments a few times. For our team, I think we are all pretty disappointed. I’ve had my good moments, I am going to remember them… I guess we will try to enjoy it.”
Sport can be cruel, delivering moments of euphoria and crushing disappointment in quick succession. For Canada’s short track speed skating team, these Games were marked by pride, alongside both tears of joy and tears of heartbreak.
