Speed Skating Canada​ – Canadian short track skaters aiming to improve on podium results Sunday

 

Steven Dubois of Lachenaie, QC earned his first individual World Cup medal on Saturday, a bronze in the men’s 1500m.

Credit: Dave Holland.

 

SALT LAKE CITY, USA – Steven Dubois found the top three in the men’s 1500m event at the 2018 ISU World Cup Short Track in Salt Lake City on Saturday. Dubois, of Lachenaie, QC, skated a time of 2:13.424 en route to a bronze medal, the first individual World Cup podium finish of his career.

 

“The race felt great,” explained Dubois about his skate. “It started super fast, so I wasn’t sure what to do. I ended up staying in the back, waiting for them to slow down. It never happened, so in the last two or three laps I gave it my all and went outside to get into the third position.”

 

Dubois was elated at his result. “I’m super happy to get a bronze medal here,” he emphasized. “I was expecting medals this year, but for it to come so soon – in the second World Cup – gives me a lot of confidence for what’s coming next.” 

 

Four other Canadians also earned spots in the A finals of their respective distances on Saturday:

• Alyson Charles of Montreal, QC finished fourth in the ladies 1000m (1)
• Boucherville, QC’s Charle Cournoyer also narrowly missed the podium, placing fourth in the men’s 1000m (1)
• Pascal Dion, also of Montreal, joined teammate Dubois in the 1500m race and placed fifth
• Montreal’s Camille De Serres-Rainville skated to a fifth-place finish in the ladies 1500m.

 

Veteran Charles Hamelin, native of Sainte-Julie, QC, was advanced to the B finals of the men’s 1500m after contact by a Korean skater in the semifinals caused Hamelin to lose his footing. He finished in a tie for second in that race.

 

The men’s relay team was penalized in the semifinals to end their run at the podium and the mixed relay team finished fourth in their contest to earn a spot in the B final. Penalties to Samuel Girard of Ferland-et-Boilleau, QC in the men’s 1000m (1) quarter-finals and Courtney Sarault of Moncton, NB in the semifinals of the ladies 1500m ended their days early.

 

Sunday will see Girard, Hamelin and Cédrik Blais of Châteauguay, QC race in the men’s 500m, while teammate Danaé Blais, also of Châteauguay, waits for De Serres-Rainville and Alison Desmarais of Vanderhoof, BC to join her in the ladies 500m quarter-finals if they can make it through the repechage.

 

Dion and Cournoyer have secured their spots in the men’s 1000m (2) quarter-finals, as has Sarault in the ladies event. Charles will attempt to pass through the repechage to join her.

 

CBCsports.ca will live stream Sunday’s races beginning at 4:00PM ET. For more information on the event, including schedules and results, please visit https://www.speedskating.ca/events/world-cup-2-st.

 

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