Canadian short track speed skater Will Dandjinou showcased his prowess at the men’s World Tour event in Gdansk, Poland. The Montreal athlete clinched victory in both the men’s 1,500 and 500-meter finals, leading the Canadian Ice Maples to secure four medals at the Hala Olivia Arena. Dandjinou’s teammates, Courtney Sarault and Steven Dubois, claimed silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In the men’s 1,500m final, the 24-year-old Dandjinou crossed the finish line in 2:24.153, outpacing Italians Thomas Nadalini (2:24.215) and Pietro Sighel (2:24.288). Dubois, hailing from Terrebonne, Que., finished sixth in the final with a time of 2:24.834.
After his win in the 1,500m final, Dandjinou expressed satisfaction with his performance under challenging ice conditions. He continued his winning streak in the men’s 500m final, securing gold with a time of 40.849 seconds. Xiaojun Lin of China took silver (41.120), and Dubois claimed the bronze in 41.505.
With these victories, Dandjinou now boasts five gold medals this season and leads the overall rankings with 642 points. He holds a substantial 210-point lead over Sighel, his closest competitor, while Dubois follows closely behind in third place, trailing the Italian by 10 points.
In the women’s 1,000m final, Sarault earned a silver medal with a time of 1:30.575. Hanna Desmet of Belgium secured gold (1:30.422), and American Corrine Stoddard took bronze (1:30.589). Sarault leads the overall standings with 570 points, with Stoddard in second place with 480 points.
The Gdansk event coverage will continue on Sunday at 8:05 a.m. ET, available for live streaming on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Stay tuned for more thrilling short track events this season.