Blais win 2 gold at Short Track Speed Skating World Tour in Beijing

It was a stupendous weekend for Team Canada as they won seven medals at a Short Track Speed Skating World Tour in Beijing, China. Canada came away with three gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal. Two of the gold medals were won by Danae Blais of Chateauguay, Quebec.

On Saturday, Blais won the gold medal in the women’s 1000 metres. She posted a winning time of 1:29.678. Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands won the silver medal with a time of 1:29.717. Corrine Stoddard of the United States and Minjeong Choi of South Korea shared the bronze medal with a time of 1:29.777. Blais reached the podium by 0.537 seconds over Canadian Courtney Sarault of Moncton, New Brunswick, who had a fifth place time of 1:30.215. In the World Tour standings, Blais is fourth in the women’s 1000 metres with 180 points. Velzeboer leads with 260 points. Choi is in second place with 230 points, and Stoddard is in third place with 210 points.

Blais, Sarault, Canadian Olympic silver medalist Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke, Quebec, and Florence Brunelle of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec won gold in the women’s 3000 metre relay with a time of 4:10.948 on Saturday. South Korea won the silver medal with a time of 4:17.746 and Kazakhstan won the bronze medal with a time of 4:39.492. In the World Tour women’s 3000 metre standings, Canada is in first place with 260 points. Italy is in second with 224 points.

On Sunday, Felix Roussel of Sherbrooke. Quebec won the gold medal in the men’s 1000 metres. He had a winning time of 1:25.352. Michal Niewinski of Poland won the silver medal with a time of 1:25.480. Niall Treacy of Great Britain won the bronze medal with a time of 1:25.598. Roussel reached the podium by 0.421 seconds over Canadian William Dandjinou of Sherbrooke, Quebec, who had a fourth place time of 1:25.773. In the World Tour men’s 1000 metre standings, Dandjinou and Jens van’T Wout of the Netherlands are the leaders at 180 points each. Roussel is in fifth place at 154 points.

On Saturday, Dandjinou won the silver medal in the men’s 1500 metres with a time of 2:16.808. Jiwon Park of South Korea won the gold medal with a time of 2:16.776. Long Sun of China won the bronze medal with a time of 2:17.186. Dandjinou reached the podium by 0.389 seconds over Sungwoo Jang of South Korea, who had a fourth place time of 2:17.197. In the World Tour men’s 1500 metre standings, Dandjinou leads with 280 points. Park is second with 240 points.

Also on Saturday, Canadian Olympic gold medalist Steven Dubois of Laval, Quebec won the silver medal in the men’s 500 metres with a time of 40.289 seconds. Sun won the gold medal with a time of 40.155 seconds. Shaoang Liu of China won the bronze medal with a time of 40.342 seconds. Dubois reached the podium by 0.116 seconds over van ‘T Wout, who had a fourth place time of 40.405 seconds. Dubois leads the World Tour standings with 260 points. Dandjinou is in second with 224 points.

Finally on Sunday, Brunelle and Rikki Doak of Fredericton, New Brunswick won silver and bronze respectively in the women’s 500 metres. Brunelle had a time of 42.202 seconds and Doak had a time of 42.692 seconds. Velzeboer won the gold medal with a time of 42.078 seconds. Brunelle reached the podium by 0.61 seconds, and Doak reached the podium by 0.116 seconds over Boutin. In the World Tour women’s 500 metre standings, Brunelle is in fifth place with 138 points. Doak is in sixth place with 134 points.

Dubois won gold in the men’s 5000 metre relay at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Boutin won the silver medal in the women’s 1000 metres at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. The medals for Dubois, Doak, Brunelle, Boutin, Blais, Sarault, Roussel and Dandjinou in Beijing will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.