GDANSK, POLAND – Canada opened the ISU World Junior Short Track Championships with two bronze medals, marking the first time since 2010 that both a male and female skater reached the podium in an individual distance at the same World Junior Championships.
Gabriel Jones (Deux-Montagnes, Que.), the 2023 Canadian Junior Short Track Champion, raced to a bronze medal in the men’s 1500m, finishing the race in 2:21.439 in a close sprint to the finish. Jongun Rim of Korea finished in first place (2:20.640) and Lorenzo Previtali of Italy finished in second place (2:21.312). Mathieu Pelletier (Laval, Que.) also competed in the Final A, finishing in 8th place (3:18.598).
Jones becomes the first Canadian male to win an individual medal since Steven Dubois captured 500m bronze in 2016.
In the women’s 500m, NextGen team member Victoria Jean-Baptiste (Laval, Que.) came into the competition ranked second in the ISU Junior World Cup Short Track rankings in the 500m after winning a silver medal at the ISU Junior World Cup in Leeuwarden earlier in the season. She took the bronze with a final time of 44.824, finishing just ahead of Korea’s Sumin Yu. Ye Wang of China won the gold (43.921) and Jaehee Chung of Korea claimed the silver.
The men’s relay team, including Jones, Pelletier, Victor Chartrand (Laval, Que.) and Adam Law (Mississauga, Ont.) competed in the 3000m semifinal, qualifying for the Final B. The women’s team received a penalty and will not advance.
The ISU World Junior Short Track Championship concludes tomorrow with the men’s and women’s 1000m, the men’s and women’s 3000m relay, and the mixed team relay.
“I had a slow start. I was afraid someone would try to lap the pack. It calmed down afterwards. I waited for the right moment to launch my attack and on the last lap I did everything I could to stay in second place, but the Italian managed it well. I’m super happy with my third place,” shared Gabriel Jones.
Results
1500m
Miao Qi: 6th
Courtney Charlong: 21st
Aaralyn McGill: 31st
Gabriel Jones: 3rd
Mathieu Pelletier: 8th
Adam Law: 25th
500m
Victoria Jean-Baptiste: 3rd
Miao Qi: 9th
Courtney Charlong: 34th
Mathieu Pelletier: 11th
Adam Law: 12th
Victor Chartrand: 13th
CONTACT
Alain Brouillette
Speed Skating Canada
communications@speedskating.ca
613-601-2630