Canada had a slow start to the Short Track season last weekend at the Maurice-Richard Arena in Montreal – but Saturday at the second ISU Short Track World Cup event at the same venue was all about the home nation.
Local heroes William Dandjinou (CAN) and Jordan Pierre-Gilles (CAN) won their first-ever individual ISU World Cup gold medals, in the 1500m (1) and 500m respectively, beating some of the best names in the business to mark themselves out as future stars.
Dandjinou beats hero Hwang to take debut gold
Canadian champion Dandjinou grew up idolising Hwang Dae Heon (KOR). On Saturday, in front of an adoring crowd, he defeated the Olympic champion to pick up his first ever individual ISU World Cup gold medal.
The rangy Dandjinou took the lead mid-race and generated huge speed to hold off Hwang, who got silver, and Kim Gun Woo (KOR), who took bronze.
William Dandjinou (CAN) beat his idol Hwang Dae Hon (KOR), left, in the 1500m to win his first ISU World Cup gold medal © ISU
“To beat Hwang is amazing,” said Dandjinou. “Sometimes the language barrier between countries is pretty big, but I would like to tell him how grateful I am to just be able to race against him. It was always an ambition to skate with him and against him.
“I have been watching him since I was little. We don’t have a huge age gap – but he was really good, really young. So I always admired him. Today was so exciting, I am without words.”
The result is the culmination of seasons of toil for the Canadian.
“The last few years have been really tough for me,” he said. “I was in the team, but I was on the sidelines. So to be able to perform like that, in front of my crowd, was amazing.
“It feels so good get my first gold medal. It feels like a redemption for last week, when I had good legs, so the bronze medal tasted kind of sour. Today was incredible.”
Having grabbed the limelight, one of the taller skaters on the circuit will now be difficult to miss.
“The long track team is always trying to recruit me, but I am doing pretty well in Short track, and I love it,” said Dandjinou.
Pierre-Gilles prevails in lightning fast 500m
With two Canadians and the Chinese Liu brothers – Shaoang (CHN) and Shaolin Sandor Liu (CHN) – lining up, the 500m always looked like a potential classic.
So it proved: Steven Dubois (CAN) began the race like he’d been fired from a rocket. Shaoang tried an inside pass with a lap to go, but as Dubois struggled to hold him off, the pair came together.
It was mutually assured destruction. The pair slid to the sidelines – it was adjudged to be shared responsibility, so there was no penalty – allowing Pierre-Gilles to glide through for gold. Shaolin earned silver, Lin Xiaojun (CHN) the bronze.
Jordan Pierre-Gilles (CAN) prevailed in a lightning fast 500m after a crash took out Stephen Dubois (CAN) and Shaoang Liu (CHN) © ISU
“It was an amazing race, so fast, when I came in the dressing room, the boys told me how fast it was,” said Pierre-Gilles. “It was pure adrenaline, but I tried to keep calm, keep composure.
“To get my first individual gold feels amazing. I’ve pictured it, so to live it in front of family and friends, and the team – it doesn’t get better.
“William getting his gold was inspiring. We’ve seen it before, what he can do. When I saw him go in front, I thought, you can’t let him do that.”
Pierre-Gilles credits the Canada setup for his rapid progress.
“I’ve put in a lot of work,” he said. “The team that supports us is unbelievable. We have a great team spirit, and that pushes us on every day.
“We’ve had lots of great role models here. We’ve had Charles Hamelin. We’ve got Steven. Pascal Dion has been there for a while. We had great results at the Olympic Games [winning the relay gold at Beijing 2022] and that makes you realise that your work has paid off.
“So Canada is in a great position. We will keep working. Time goes fast. At the Games I was a youngster, now I’m a vet. That’s weird, but it’s inspiring.”
In the 2000m mixed relay, China won the gold medal, with Netherlands getting silver and Italy the bronze.
The racing continues tomorrow at the Maurice-Richard Arena with the 1000m, 1500m (2) and relays.
For full entry lists and further information about the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series, please visit webpage here.
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World Cup Classification - Men
World Cup Classification - Women
World Cup Classification – Mixed Relay
Where to watch
Viewers will be able to watch the Saturday and Sunday afternoon (local time) World Cup sessions via their national broadcaster/channel.
For countries where there are no broadcasters and for the qualification races on Friday and repechage races (Saturday and Sunday morning), the ISU will offer a live stream with English commentary on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. You will find the full list on the Where to watch webpage here.
Only for the Friday qualification races and repechage races on Saturday and Sunday morning (local time), no geoblocking will apply.
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ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series events 2023/24:
Oct 20 - 22, 2023 Montréal /CAN
Oct 27 - 29, 2023 Montréal /CAN
Dec 08 - 10, 2023 Beijing /CHN
Dec 15 - 17, 2023 Seoul /KOR
Feb 09 - 11, 2024 Dresden /GER
Feb 16 - 18, 2024 Gdansk /POL
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About ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series
The ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022. Launched in 1997/98, the Series usually consists of six events (four during an Olympic season) that take place in North America, Europe and Asia.
The competitions have a single distance character across nine distances (500, 1000 and 1500 meters for Women and Men, Women 3000 meters Team Relay, Men 5000 meters Team Relay and a Mixed Gender Relay over 2000 meters). In 2022, the series introduced an Overall World Classification based on an accumulation of points from all individual distances which ultimately determine a Combined Season Ranking and a Season Champion in the Women and Men categories. These Champions are awarded with the ISU World Cup Short Track Crystal Globe Trophy.
Each competition is held over three days (day 1 is dedicated to all Qualifying Rounds, days 2 and 3 consist of the last Qualifying Rounds followed by the World Cup sessions). For the Mixed Gender Relay Teams (2 Women & 2 Men), the Women 3000 meters Relay races and Men 5000 meters Relay races a maximum of four Skaters shall compete and must belong to the same ISU Member. For further information please visit isu.org.
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