OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Speed Skating Canada is now accepting bids from interested host communities for several national-level competitions planned for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, including five national championships.

A total of seven short track events are currently up for bid, including Canadian Youth, Canadian Neo-Junior, and Canadian Junior championships, where the country’s top age-class skaters will compete for national titles, and in the case of the Canadian Junior Short Track Championships, earn the chance to wear the maple leaf on the international stage.

Speed Skating Canada adopted a revised event bidding process in 2022 that has helped bring national-level speed skating to several new communities, including Saskatoon, Oakville, Medicine Hat, Chicoutimi, and Rimouski. These new locations – alongside longstanding host cities such as Montreal, Calgary, Quebec City, Fort St. John and Sherbrooke – have allowed the organization to showcase the sport from coast-to-coast more than ever before.

Interested tourism bodies or local speed skating clubs are asked to fill out the Existing Host Application Form (if they’ve hosted a national event since 2021) or New Host Application Form (if they haven’t hosted since 2021). The completed application form and any supporting documents must be submitted to Jill Lynch by April 28, 2024.

Bids are being accepted for the following events. The dates and locations of the remaining events can be found in the recently published 2024-25 National Competition Calendar.

2024-25 Season

– Canadian Junior Short Track Championships (October 11-13, 2024)
– Canadian Neo-Junior Short Track Championships (November 9-10, 2024)
– Canadian Junior Short Track Open (January 11-12, 2025)
– Short Track Canada Cup Junior Final (March 21-23, 2025)
– Canadian Youth Short Track Championships – East (March 28-30, 2025)

2025-26 Season

– Canadian Youth Short Track Championships – East (March 27-29, 2026)
– Canadian Youth Short Track Championships – West (March 27-29, 2026)

Event Descriptions

Canadian Junior Short Track Championships
The Canadian Junior Short Track Championships features the country’s top 40 junior aged skaters per gender and is used to crown a national junior champion in each individual distance and an overall champion. The results from this event help determine which athletes will be nominated to represent Canada at the ISU Junior World Cups, ISU World Junior Championships and the Youth Olympic Games.
Canadian Youth Short Track Championships
The Canadian Youth Short Track Championships features skaters aged 11 to 13 and is used to crown individual distance champions for each age class. The event also features relays and ability-based races amongst all age groups. This event serves as an introduction to national level competition for developing skaters and an opportunity for them to represent their province/territory on the national stage.
Canadian Neo-Junior Short Track Championships
The Canadian Neo-Junior Short Track Championships features skaters aged 14 to 15 and is used to crown individual distance champions for each age class. The top 60 skaters per gender compete in groups to gain racing experience and challenge to make the podium.
Canadian Junior Short Track Open
The Canadian Short Track Junior Open is a parallel pathway competition for skaters aged 16-18. It serves as a qualifier for the Canada Cup Final and Canada Cup Junior Final. It brings together 40 skaters per gender who are looking for national level racing experience and trying to break into the senior national ranking events.
Short Track Canada Cup Junior Final
The Short Track Canada Cup Junior Final features the country’s top 60 junior aged skaters per gender and is where they can accumulate points towards the end-of-season Canadian junior rankings. The competition is designed to promote the development of tactical racing skills and to expose more skaters to national level competition.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – A world-leader in speed skating equipment is returning to the Speed Skating Canada family, as Nagano Skate has signed a two-year agreement that will see them become an official supplier to Canada’s national speed skating programs.

As part of this new partnership, Quebec-based Nagano Skate receives exclusive rights to provide both short track and long track national program athletes with protective gloves and glove tips, while also supplying equipment technicians at the National Training Centres in Montreal, Quebec City and Calgary with the sharpening tools and blade maintenance equipment they require to ensure skaters can perform to the best of their abilities on the ice.

In addition to these in-kind products, national program athletes will also receive a 25% rebate on Nagano Skate products, allowing them to purchase items such as blades, glasses, helmets, and other accessories at a discount. Further details on how athletes can take advantage of this offer – both in person and online – will be shared in the coming months.

“We’re very excited to have Nagano Skate rejoin Speed Skating Canada as an official equipment supplier. They are a trusted name within the speed skating industry, and we are confident that this new partnership will greatly benefit our national programs, ensuring teams have access to cutting-edge sharpening and blade maintenance equipment, while also providing skaters with discounted access to a variety of products and accessories to help them perform their best.”

Joe Morissette, Chief Executive Officer, Speed Skating Canada

Founded in November 2016 by Canadian short track Olympians François Drolet and Éric Bédard, Nagano Skate has quickly become a leader in the world of speed skating equipment.

While custom-made protective gear and sharpening equipment remain at the heart of what they do, the company has branched out in recent years, expanding their offerings to include hockey and running equipment, which are available online and at their brick-and-mortar location at the Centre de glace Intact Assurance in Quebec City.

“Nagano Skate is honoured to be affiliated with Speed Skating Canada through a long-term partnership that will bring us through to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Innovation, security and performance are at the heart of our mission, and we’re proud to play an essential role in the continued success of the athletes on Team Canada. Together, we’re aiming for the summit, pushing the limits of excellence for our athletes and our country.”

Éric Bédard, Academy and Team Apparel Director, Nagano Skate

To learn more about Nagano Skate and view their product offerings, please visit www.naganoskate.com.

About Speed Skating Canada

Speed Skating Canada is the national governing body responsible for the organization, coordination and administration of both short track and long track speed skating in Canada. Founded in 1887, we proudly represent over 13,000 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers from coast to coast. Our non-profit organization is accountable to our 13 provincial and territorial speed skating organizations (PTSOs) and our national team program. We’re here to rally, inspire and lead the charge for our country’s most successful Olympic sport.

About Nagano Skate

Born from the passion and expertise of Olympic athletes in November 2016, Nagano Skate represents the pinnacle of excellence in the world of speed skating. In partnership with prestigious Quebec companies, we offer an exclusive selection of sharpening and anti-laceration protection equipment, ensuring unrivalled comfort and optimum safety for the most demanding skaters. Our Academy offers training courses for athletes of all levels, as well as world-class mentoring and coaching. Our new range of team clothing consists of a variety of products, including the new high-performance skin suit line and many other items that meet the highest standards. At Nagano Skate, our mantra is simple: ‘By skaters, for skaters’, and we are committed to propelling speed skating to new heights by constantly pushing the boundaries of excellence.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Canada’s next generation of short track skaters are gearing for their last competition of the season, a showdown on the national stage at a pair of Canadian Youth Speed Skating Championships presented by Intact Insurance.

The West edition of the event will take place this weekend, March 22-24, at the Big Marble Go Centre in Medicine Hat, Alberta, while the East edition runs the following weekend, March 29-31, at the Complexe Sportif Desjardins in Rimouski, Quebec.

For the first time in their history, the Medicine Hat Speed Skating Club will host a national-level competition, with 120 skaters aged 11-13 from across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon and the Northwest Territories slated to showcase their skills during two action-packed race days this coming weekend.

“We are honored to host the Canadian Youth Short Track Championships, highlighting our club’s dedication to advancing and promoting the sport of speed skating. This event will showcase the hard work of the athletes competing and our supportive local community. We look forward to providing a competitive platform for these young skaters and a welcoming atmosphere for all attending families.”

Emma Piayda, President, Medicine Hat Speed Skating Club

Rimouski, birthplace of the legendary Isabelle Charest and recent junior World Championship participant Camille Tremblay, have not hosted a national short track competition in over 20 years. Next weekend the community will welcome 120 skaters aged 11-13 from Eastern Canadian provinces including Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.

“The Cyclones Speed Skating Club is very excited to welcome skaters to our beautiful Complexe Sportif Desjardins, a modern facility that recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. We are honoured to host the Canadian Youth Short Track Championships, the first national-level competition that the city of Rimouski has hosted in more than 20 years. In addition to the competition, our club has pulled out all the stops to ensure participants have a memorable experience.”

Genevieve Sirois, President, CPV Les Cyclones de Rimouski

Races from both editions of the Canadian Youth Short Track Championships presented by Intact Insurance will be live streamed on Speed Skating Canada’s YouTube channel.

A number of limited-edition clothing items have also be created for participants and fans, with Medicine Hat and Rimouski specific pieces available at shop.speedskating.ca. Speed Skating Canada is offering free shipping on these items until April 7.

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – William Dandjinou capped off his breakout international season with a World Championship title in the 1000m on Sunday, racing to the top of the podium at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The women’s 3000m relay team also reached the podium, bringing home the bronze medal.

Dandjinou, who was battling for the lead throughout the 1000m final, secured the front of the pack after race leaders Park Ji Won and Hwang Daeheon from Korea collided with three laps remaining. The Canadian held off hard-charging Italian Pietro Sighel, edging him out in a photo-finish at the line. Dandjinou’s time of 1:25.534 was 0.021 seconds faster than Sighel’s (1:25.555), with Italy’s Luca Spechenhauser rounding out the podium in bronze medal position (1:26.026).

In addition to his World Championship title, the 22-year-old from Montreal was crowned Canadian Champion in the fall and captured six World Cup medals across five competitions, including 1500m victories in Montreal, Seoul and Dresden. He finished the season ranked third overall in the Crystal Globe standings, thanks in part to top-5 rankings in both the 1500m and 1000m.

Dandjinou was the lone Canadian to reach an A Final on Sunday. Steven Dubois (Lachenaie, Que.), Courtney Sarault (Moncton, N.B.) and Kim Boutin (Sherbrooke, Que.) skated in the 1000m B Finals, finishing sixth, eighth and ninth overall in the distance, respectively.

The women’s relay team, the only squad to earn a spot in the A Final, overcame a chaotic race to earn a bronze medal.

The team of Kim Boutin (Sherbrooke, Que.), Rikki Doak (Fredericton, N.B.), Renée Steenge (Brampton, Ont.) and Danaé Blais (Châteauguay, Que.) missed an exchange during the 20th lap, as Steenge was forced to reach around Dutch and Korean skaters to push Blais, who was unable to get back onto the track. The Canadians (4:12.675) kept skating and managed to pass the Koreans, who had a fall of their own, to secure the final podium position, behind the Netherlands (4:07.788) and Americans (4:08.061).

This weekend’s performances caps off a successful international campaign for Canada, who in addition to their four World Championship medal (two gold, two bronze), also won an impressive 35 World Cup medals across six events, including 15 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze. A total of nine skaters brough home individual distance medals, while the relay teams accounted for seven podiums, including four gold.

Quotes

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to have this result today. After the day I had yesterday – probably the worse day I could have imagined with bad results in the 500m, 1500m and relay – I’m just happy to be back. It’s not the first time I have a bad day. It’s my first World Championships so I had to adjust to the calibre of the races. I wanted to make sure I was locked in for this last day and do my best. No matter what the results were today, I wanted to be happy with myself, so it’s just a blessing that I finished as world champion! The other skaters are really talented, so I feel lucky and thankful for the result today. I want to thank my family for supporting me. I’m excited to share this with you all when I get back to Montreal.”

William Dandjinou

“There was a lot of action in the race, but we remained calm, and I thought we had good aggression. So many different things happened in the race that the officials decided to keep the result as is. I think we were ready to have a great race, but we are very happy with the bronze medal. A third place is consistent with our other performances this season.“

Kim Boutin

Results

1000m

William Dandjinou: 1st
Steven Dubois: 6th
Pasal Dion: 13th
Courtney Sarault: 8th
Kim Boutin: 9th
Danaé Blais: 12th

Relays

Women’s: 3rd
Mixed: 5th
Men’s: 12th

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – Kim Boutin became World Champion in the 500m on Saturday, reaching the top step of the podium in the distance for the first time in her career during the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam.

After taking a step back from international competition earlier this season to focus on her studies, the two-time Olympic bronze medalist in the 500m showed that she still has what it takes to compete against the fastest skaters on the planet.

Starting from the second position in the A Final, Boutin (Sherbrooke, Que.) grabbed the lead right off the start and stayed out in front the entire race, building up speed with a wide track pattern that allowed her to block any incoming pass attempts. The 29-year-old crossed the finish line with a time of 42.626, ahead of defending champion Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands (42.833) and Kristen Santos-Griswold of the United States (42.929).

The win marked Boutin’s first career World Championship title in the 500m, adding to the silver medal she won on home ice in Montreal in 2022. She joins Isabelle Charest and Kalyna Roberge as the only Canadian women to have won gold in the distance at the prestigious competition in the past 20 years.

Canada’s Jordan Pierre-Gilles, the World Cup leader in the men’s 500m, also reached the World Championship podium on Saturday, bringing home the 500m bronze medal after an eventful A Final. His teammate Steven Dubois finished one spot behind in fourth.

Both Canadians fell with two laps remaining in the race after losing an edge in corner. While they looked to be out of podium contention, Italy’s Pietro Sighel, who was sitting in third place at the time, had a fall of his own shortly after which opened the door for the Canadians.

Pierre-Gilles, who was the quickest of the three fallen skaters to get back onto his feet, coasted to a bronze medal despite crossing the finish line over 10-seconds behind the next skater (52.289). It was the first World Championship of his career in an individual distance, eclipsing his previous best ninth-place result in the 500m from 2022.China’s Lin Xiaojun took home the title (41.592), narrowly edging out Denis Nikisha of Kazakhstan (41.676).

Courtney Sarault was Canada’s top skater in the 1500m, earning a fifth-place result after sneaking into the A Final as the fastest third-place finisher in the semifinals. The Moncton native worked her way to the middle of the pack with six laps remaining but was unable to move any close to the podium. Korea’s Kim Gilli (2:21.192) was crowned world champion, ahead of American’s Kristen Santos-Griswold (2:21.413) and Corinne Stoddard (2:22.244).

Meanwhile, Pascal Dion (Montreal, Que.) and Renée Steenge (Brampton, Ont.) took part in the 1500m B Final, finishing eighth and thirteenth overall in the distance, respectively. Rikki Doak (Fredericton, N.B.) finished third in the 500m B Final, ranking eighth overall in the distance.

The ISU World Short Track Championships concludes tomorrow, where titles will be awarded in the 1000m and all three relays. Races will be live streamed on CBC Sports and Radio-Canada Sports digital platforms, with television coverage available on CBC and ICI Télé.

Quotes

“I think this was a nice way to finish the comeback! It took me 10 years of racing in World Cups before winning a gold medal at the World Championships, and I’m really happy to finally have done it! I told my coach last year that I was tired of my second-place finishes. There were some super strong girls in my races. Every time I was overtaken by Kristen [Santos-Griswold]. I told myself that, in the finals, I would start a little slower in my first lap and that caused chaos behind me. All four girls were really stuck to each other, and I was able to get out in front. I didn’t expect to win at World Championships at all after taking time off this season. For me, this was a huge bonus. I am really happy about what I was able to accomplish here today and also for choosing myself throughout this process.”

Kim Boutin

“I’m happy with my result and my first individual medal at the World Championships! It’s bittersweet. I’m happy with the result, but I wanted gold. When you fall in a race, you don’t expect a podium. Since I was young, my parents always taught me to race to the finish line. I got up right after I fell to finish the race, not thinking for a minute I would win a medal. When I crossed the line, my teammates and coaches were shouting that I was third and I said, ‘I’ll take it!’. Being ranked number one in the World Cup rankings in the 500m, I was clearly going for the gold. In the semifinals, I had a bump with the Chinese skater. The referees intervened and advanced me to the finals, but they didn’t penalize him. He was starting in lane one in the final, whereas I was in lane five, which made the job way harder than what I expected. It’s hard to come from there all the way to the front of the pack. And it was also obvious that the ice was a little worse than in the previous rounds because there were three falls. I think there may have also been some dirt on the ice, which could have caused those lost edges.”

Jordan Pierre-Gilles

Results

500m

Kim Boutin: 1st
Rikki Doak: 8th
Danaé Blais: 41^st (DNS)
Jordan Pierre-Gilles: 3rd
Steven Dubois: 4th
William Dandjinou: 11th

1500m

Courtney Sarault: 5th
Renée Steenge: 13th
Danaé Blais: 19th
Pascal Dion: 9th
Steven Dubois: 14th
William Dandjinou: 23rd

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – An exciting new partnership between Speed Skating Canada and TrainingPeaks – a global leader in providing smart and effective digital training solutions for athletes and coaches – will provide members of the Canadian speed skating community discounted access to an all-in-one tool to help manage training plans and data analysis.

Founded in 1999, TrainingPeaks has revolutionized the way that coaches and athletes plan training, track workouts, and analyze results. Their all-in-one platform – which can be accessed using the TrainingPeaks app or mobile-friendly website – allows athletes to access training plans and report their results, while also providing coaches a robust platform to effectively manage and track each of the athletes within their program.

As part of this new partnership, the athletes and coaches within Canada’s National Program will each receive a TrainingPeaks premium account. The partnership benefits also extend down to Speed Skating Canada’s membership base, providing athletes and coaches at all levels of the sport with a 20% discount off Premium Athlete and Coach accounts.

Members can sign up for a FREE TrainingPeaks Premium trial and enter the promo code – which will be shared directly with PTSOs and Clubs – to apply the 20% discount to their subscription.

“We’re excited that athletes and coaches from across the Canadian speed skating community will now have access to an industry-leading platform to help plan, track and analyze their training. TrainingPeaks is a tool already used by coaches and support staff within our National Programs, who use the data collected to make educated, evidence-based decisions that ensure skaters are getting the most out of their training and will be ready for optimal performance at competitions. This new partnership will help bring that same level of professionalism to the lower tiers of our sport, providing up-and-coming coaches with a new tool to help them more effectively manage the next generation of skaters.”

Joe Morissette, Chief Executive Officer, Speed Skating Canada

In addition to Speed Skating Canada, TrainingPeaks is partnered with over 30 national sport governing bodies from around the world, including longstanding relationships with Triathlon Canada and Cycling Canada. Their platform is also used by professional teams in endurance sports such as cycling, running, swimming and rowing.

To facilitate the rollout of this new partnership, a custom portal has been created for Speed Skating Canada members, providing easy access to membership benefits, as well as sport-specific training plans and resources.

“We’re excited to support Speed Skating Canada with our suite of advanced training tools so that both their National Team and membership base can train smarter and achieve their full potential.”

Dirk Friel, Co-Founder, TrainingPeaks

To learn more about the TrainingPeaks platform and access Speed Skating Canada’s athlete and coach portal, please visit www.trainingpeaks.com/partners/speed-skating-canada.

About Speed Skating Canada

Speed Skating Canada is the national governing body responsible for the organization, coordination and administration of both short track and long track speed skating in Canada. Founded in 1887, we proudly represent over 13,000 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers from coast to coast. Our non-profit organization is accountable to our 13 provincial and territorial speed skating organizations (PTSOs) and our national team program. We’re here to rally, inspire and lead the charge for our country’s most successful Olympic sport.

About TrainingPeaks

TrainingPeaks provides the complete web, mobile and desktop solution for enabling smart and effective endurance training. Our products include the TrainingPeaks desktop and mobile app for athletes and coaches, WKO+ desktop software for cutting-edge scientific analysis and planning, and the TrainingPeaks mobile apps for iOS and Android. TrainingPeaks solutions are used by Tour de France teams, Olympians, and age group athletes and coaches around the world to track, analyze and plan their training.

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – Ten Canadian skaters have been selected to take part in the season’s final international competition, lining up against the world’s best at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, which takes place from March 15-17 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Skaters representing over 30 countries will fight for medals in the men’s and women’s 500m, 1000m, 1500m, as well as in the 2000m mixed relay, 3000m women’s relay and 5000m men’s relay. The event adopted a single-distance format two seasons ago, meaning the once highly coveted overall World Championship titles are no longer awarded.

The Canadian team for next weekend’s competition features five Olympians, including four skaters – Steven Dubois, Pascal Dion, Kim Boutin and Courtney Sarault – who medaled in individual distances at last season’s World Championships in Seoul. The Canadian women’s relay team also reached the podium in the South Korean capital, helping Canada earn six medals.

ISU World Short Track Championships

Rikki Doak (Fredericton, N.B.)
Danaé Blais (Châteauguay, Que.)
Kim Boutin (Sherbrooke, Que.)
Courtney Sarault (Moncton, N.B.)
Renée Steenge (Brampton, Ont.)

William Dandjinou (Montreal, Que.)
Jordan Pierre-Gilles (Sherbrooke, Que.)
Steven Dubois (Lachenaie, Que.)
Félix Roussel (Sherbrooke, Que.)
Pascal Dion (Montreal, Que.)

Canada enters this final competition of the 2023-24 international season on a high note, having finished the World Cup campaign with a total of 35 medals across six events, including 15 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze. A total of nine skaters brough home individual distance medals, while the relay teams accounted for seven podiums, including four gold.

Five Canadians earned top-10 finishes in the men’s Crystal Globe standings for overall World Cup champion, with Dubois finishing second ahead of Dandjinou (3rd), Roussel (5th), Pierre-Gilles (7th) and Dion (9th). On the women’s side, Sarault and Blais finished ninth and tenth overall, respectively.

Each of the men selected for these World Championships ended the season ranked within the top-5 of an individual distance, with Pierre-Gilles and Dandjinou sitting atop the standings in the 500m and 1500m, respectively. Dubois sits second in both the 500m and 1000m, while Roussel (3rd in 500m) and Dion (4th in 1500m) had equally impressive seasons.

The ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships kicks off March 15 with qualifying races in individual distances and relays. Medals will be awarded in the 500m and 1500m on Saturday, as well as the 1000m and all three relays on Sunday. Races will be live streamed on CBC Sports and Radio-Canada Sports digital platforms, with colour commentary in English provided by Olympian Michael Gilday.

INZELL, GERMANY – Laurent Dubreuil captured his second career medal at the ISU World Sprint Speed Skating Championships on Friday, bringing home bronze after two grueling days of racing in at the Max Aicher Arena in Inzell, Germany.

Dubreuil (Lévis, Que.) stood atop the leaderboard after Thursday’s first two races, earning a first-place finish in the 500m-1 (34.47) and sixth-place result in the 1000m-1 (1:08.31). He was equally as sharp in Friday’s 500m-2, finishing tied for second with a time of 34.47, but ran out of steam and settled for a 17th place result in the 1000m-2 (1:08.84) to conclude the competition.

The 31-year-old’s total combined samalog score of 137.515 put him +1.67 seconds behind Zhongyan Ning (136.680), who became the first Chinese skater to win the overall title at the event which has been running since 1970. Dutch youngster Jenning De Boo (+0.74), who was making his World Championships debut, earned silver behind Ning.

While not the gold medal he was aiming for, this season’s podium finish was redemption of sorts for Dubreuil, whose most recent experience at the event in 2022 was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Despite standing atop the standings after the first day of racing, the Olympic silver medalist from Beijing 2022 was forced to withdraw from the competition after testing positive for COVID-19.

In addition to today’s bronze medal, Dubreuil was crowned vice-champion at the event in 2020. With two career medals to his name, he joins Jeremy Wotherspoon (9), Gaétan Boucher (5) and Mike Ireland (4) as the only Canadian male skaters to reach the overall podium more than once in the event’s storied 54-year history.

Fellow Canadians Madison Pearman (Ponoka, Alta.) and Yankun Zhao (Calgary, Alta.) finished this week’s competition in Inzell ranked 21st and 23rd overall, respectively.

Four Canadians – Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais, Abigail McCluskey and Jake Weidemann – will take place in the allround portion of the ISU World Sprint and Allround World Championships, which takes place Saturday (500m and 3000m/5000m) and Sunday (1500m and 5000m/10,000m). Races will be live streamed on CBC Sports digital platforms, with Olympian Anastasia Bucsis providing commentary.

Quotes

“I am satisfied with my bronze medal given how my legs were feeling going into this competition. I am also happy with the result considering how difficult the last three weeks have been. If you would have asked me after the World Championships in Calgary, I would have said that I was aiming to win it all. I was really skating well, but today I was far from being at my best. I just got sick one too many times this season. When I left home, I was no longer aiming for victory; I just wanted to give myself a chance to reach the podium. Yes, I was in first place after the first day, but Zhongyan Ning was right behind me. With the way he skated today, I would have had to been in the best shape of my life to challenge him for first. He was truly exceptional.”

Laurent Dubreuil

Results

Laurent Dubreuil
• Overall: 3rd
• 500m-1: 1st
• 500m-2: 2nd
• 1000m-1: 6th
1000m-2: 17th
Yankun Zhao
• Overall: 23rd
• 500m-1: 24th
• 500m-2: 19th
• 1000m-1: 22nd
1000m-2: 23rd
Maddison Pearman
• Overall: 21st
• 500m-1: 23rd
• 500m-2: 22nd
• 1000m-1: 20th
1000m-2: 15th

INZELL, GERMANY – Veteran national team members Laurent Dubreuil, Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais lead a team of seven Canadian long track skaters set to compete at the ISU World Speed Skating Allround and Sprint Championships in Inzell from March 7-10, 2024.

This year’s edition marks the third time that the previously separate World Allround Championships and World Sprint Championships will be combined and hosted in the same location, something that was done only at the Vikingskipet in Hamar in 2020 and 2022.

Different from the single distance format used at the World Speed Skating Championships hosted last month in Calgary, this particular event sees skaters earn points based on their time in each distance and their combined total used to crown the overall champions.

The Sprint portion of the competition, which uses results from a pair of 500m and 1000m races, runs Thursday and Friday, while the Allround portion, which combines results in the 500m, 1500m, 3000m/5000m and 5000m/10,000m, takes place Saturday and Sunday.

Canada’s team for this final event of the international season includes a trio of veterans, as well as two skaters who will be making their career debut at this competition.

ISU World Sprint Speed Skating Championships

Laurent Dubreuil (Lévis, Que.)
Yankun Zhao (Calgary, Alta.)
Maddison Pearman (Ponoka, Alta.)

ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships

Ivanie Blondin (Ottawa, Ont.)
Valérie Maltais (La Baie, Que.)
Abigail McCluskey (Penticton, B.C.)
Jake Weidemann (Ottawa, Ont.)

Dubreuil (Lévis, Que.) enters the World Sprint Championships as Canada’s top medal hopeful.

The 31-year-old was crowned vice-champion at the event back in 2020, joining legends Jeremy Wotherspoon (9), Gaétan Boucher (5) and Mike Ireland (4) as the only Canadian men to reach the podium since the event was established in 1970.

His most recent experience at the event in 2022 was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Despite standing atop the standings after the first day of racing, the Olympic silver medalist from Beijing 2022 was forced to withdraw from the competition after testing positive for COVID-19.

For the World Allround Championships, teammates Blondin (Ottawa, Ont.) and Maltais (La Baie, Que.) both have what it takes to make a run at the podium.

In 2020, Blondin was crowned vice-champion, becoming the first Canadian women to reach the overall podium at the event since Christine Nesbitt in 2012. She joins Nesbitt, Cindy Klassen, Kristina Groves and Sylvia Burka as the only skaters to earn a medal at the competition, which has been taking place since 1936.

Meanwhile, Maltais, who finished this season’s World Cup campaign ranked first overall in the Mass Start and third-overall in long distances, earned a career-best 10^th place finish at the event back in 2022.

The ISU World Speed Skating Allround and Sprint Championships will take place from March 7 to 10. The races will be live streamed on CBC Sports digital platforms – including CBCSports.ca and the CBC Gem app – with commentary from Olympian Anastasia Bucsis and Signa Butler.

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.

Quotes

“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.”

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