10 Canadians will lace up their skates at season-ending competition from March 10-12
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Ten Canadians will lace up their skates for the season’s final international competition, lining up against the world’s best at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, which gets underway later this week in Seoul, South Korea.
From March 10 to 12, 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. For the first time in the event’s history, there will be no overall World Championship title awarded this season.
The ISU World Short Track Championships were scheduled to be hosted in the South Korean capital city in 2020, but were cancelled by the International Skating Union due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Canadian team for this weekend’s competition will feature six Olympians, including last season’s vice world champions Kim Boutin and Pascal Dion. Renée Steenge, Félix Roussel and Rikki Doak will be making their World Championship debut, while Claudia Gagnon return to the stage for the first time since 2021.
Canada enters this final competition of the 2022-23 international season on a high note, having finished the 2022-23 campaign with a total of 37 medals, including 15 gold, 15 silver and 7 bronze. It is their highest World Cup medal total since the 2015-16 season, when they earned 44 medals.
On an individual front, Courtney Sarault (2nd), Steven Dubois (3rd) and Pascal Dion (4th) each finished the season ranked in the top-5 overall. Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s relay teams also finished the season ranked first overall, winning a combined 10 medals, including four gold.
The ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships will be live streamed on CBC Sports and Radio-Canada Sports digital platforms, with colour commentary in English provided by Olympian Michael Gilday.
ISU World Short Track Championships
- Kim Boutin (Sherbrooke, Que.)
- Courtney Sarault (Moncton, N.B.)
- Rikki Doak (Fredericton, N.B.)
- Renée Steenge (Brampton, Ont.)
- Claudia Gagnon (La Baie, Que.)
- Steven Dubois (Lachenaie, Que.)
- Pascal Dion (Montreal, Que.)
- Maxime Laoun (Montreal, Que.)
- Félix Roussel (Sherbrooke, Que.)
- Jordan Pierre-Gilles (Sherbrooke, Que.)