Courtney Sarault and Danaé Blais both victorious on the women’s side; Florence Brunelle reaches podium twice on Thursday
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – The excitement of short track speed skating returned to the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal on Thursday, as Canada’s top skaters kicked off the national season with the 2026 Canadian Short Track Championships, presented by Intact Insurance.
The first day of racing saw nine different skaters reach the podium across the four individual distances. Félix Roussel was victorious is both the men’s 1500m-1 and 500m-1, with Olympians William Dandjinou, Steven Dubois and Maxime Laoun all earning medals. On the women’s side, Courtney Sarault and Danaé Blais earned gold in the women’s 1500m-1 and women’s 500m-1, respectively, while Olympic teammate Florence Brunelle reached the podium twice, capturing silver and bronze.
1500m
Sarault (Moncton, N.B.), an experienced long-distance skater, powered through the first distance of the day, posting a time of 2:34.940 in the 1500m finals to earn her first victory of the weekend. The 26-year-old was joined on the podium by Blais (Châteauguay, Que.) and Brunelle (Trois-Rivières, Que.), who finished the race in 2:35.310 and 2:34.995, respectively.
Courtney Sarault“Definitely had to get the nerves out this morning. I thought that I would be able to battle in the 1500m despite my off-season training because I’ve gained a lot of experience in the distance. I’ve got some stamina and feel that I don’t as much punch compared to the 1000m or 500m, so I knew coming in I could put down a strong performance. Even though my summer wasn’t optimal for performance, short track is all about being confident and smart, and making decisions wisely. I feel like my experience helped me accomplish that today to secure that first victory.”
Roussel (Sherbrooke, Que.), last season’s runner-up in the overall Canadian Championship standings, got off to a hot start by grabbing the 1500m title with a time of 2:17.538, holding off youngster Mathieu Pelletier (Laval, Que.) and reigning ISU Crystal Globe champion Dandjinou (Montreal, Que.), who crossed the finish line neck-and-neck with times of 2:17,705 and 2:17,708.
500m
Known more for her long-distance talents, Blais surprised many by coming out ahead of a stacked 500m field to grab her first win of the competition. The 27-year-old sprinted to the finish line with a time of 43.855, besting Brunelle (44.012) and Laval’s Victoria Jean-Baptiste (44.149).
Danaé Blais“I hadn’t been feeling great over the last few weeks, so I’m really happy with my performances today. I was on a different training program all summer, so I felt like I was lagging a bit behind the group. Physically and mentally, it started to get to me a little, and my confidence was really low. I didn’t expect to be able to skate this well, given how I’d been feeling.”
Roussel earned his second gold medal of the day, winning the men’s 500m with a time of 40.934. The battle for second place was as tight as it could be, with Dubois (Lachenaie, Que.) and Laoun (Montreal, Que.) posting identical times of 40.993, resulting in two silver medals being handed out.
Félix Roussel“When I crossed the finish line, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I’ve had plenty of second and third place finishes in the 500m, but this is my first victory at the Canadian Championships. I was always trying to win, but it wasn’t working out because I was too aggressive and making mistakes. But now, putting together a race good enough to take the win, it feels great!”
Blais and Roussel currently lead the overall rankings with 9,000 and 10,000 points, respectively, as they chase this season’s national titles. The top ranked men and women will qualify to represent Canada on the ISU Short Track World Tour circuit, which makes stops in Vancouver and Montreal later this fall. The composition of the team – chosen based on criteria established in the 2026-27 Short Track Master Bulletin – is expected to be announced in early October.
Racing at the 2026 Canadian Short Track Championships presented by Intact Insurance continues Friday with the men’s and women’s 1000m-1 and 1500m. Fans can watch the action live on CBC Sports and Radio-Canada Sports digital platforms, as well as on Speed Skating Canada’s YouTube channel.