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Canada’s short track speed skaters cleaned up in Montreal (again) while Rachel Homan added a new curling title and two swimmers grew their medal collections. Here’s a recap of the top results by Canadian Olympic athletes over the weekend:
Short track speed skating: There’s no place like home
After capturing six medals (including three gold) at the ISU Short Track World Tour opener, Canadians added eight more (including six gold) as Montreal hosted for the second straight week due to issues with Salt Lake City’s track.
William Dandjinou led the way once again, winning the individual men’s 1,500m and 1,000m races while also taking silver in the 500m and helping the men’s relay team to its second straight gold. Through two World Tour stops, the 23-year-old rising star has already racked up five solo medals — four of them gold — and built a huge lead in the overall Crystal Globe standings.
WATCH | Dandjinou wins 1,000m gold in Montreal:
Two Sherbrooke, Que., natives reach the podium in the men’s short track speed skating 1,00-metre final as William Dandjinou finishes first and Jordan Pierre-Gilles places third at a World Tour event in Montreal.
Steven Dubois had another big weekend too, winning the men’s 500m and helping Canada to gold in the men’s and mixed relays. Last week, the 2022 Olympic triple medallist grabbed four medals (two solo). He’s now fourth in the overall standings.
Canada’s other gold medal came in the women’s relay, where the team bounced back from last week’s disqualification (and a near-disastrous crash in the semifinals) for the win.
The next short track World Tour stop is in early December in China. Salt Lake City was supposed to host the Four Continents Championships this week, but the event was cancelled because the venue still does not have the proper safety-padding system in place.
Curling: Rachel Homan adds a new title
The reigning Canadian and world champion stole one in the 10th end for a 6-5 win over South Korea in Saturday’s women’s final at the Pan Continental Curling Championships in Lacombe, Alta.
The Pan Continentals are a bit lacking in tradition and prestige. They’ve only been around since 2022, and Brad Gushue famously called the event “an embarrassment” when it was held at a small club in Kelowna., B.C. last year. But Homan was world-class, going 9-0 to become the first Canadian skip to capture the women’s gold. Kerri Einarson lost in the semifinals the last two years.
Gushue’s bid for a men’s three-peat ended Thursday when he lost to Japan in the semifinals. The six-time Brier champ then lost the bronze game 10-8 to American John Shuster on Friday.
Homan and Gushue are both competing in this week’s Canadian Open in Nisku, Alta. The second stop on the Grand Slam tour begins Tuesday.
Figure skating: Canadians fall short in France
Only two Canadian entries made the trip to the Grand Prix stop in Angers, and they may have wished they stayed home. Podium contenders Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud finished fifth in the pairs event while Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac placed seventh in the ice dance.
Pereira and Michaud’s result was especially disappointing as they won gold in France last year en route to qualifying for the prestigious Grand Prix Final. Their next event will be the Cup of China later this month.
This week’s stop is the NHK Trophy in Japan. No Canadians are slated to compete after Stephen Gogolev withdrew from the men’s event.
WATCH | That Figure Skating Show recaps Grand Prix of France:
Asher Hill & analyst Brenda Irving are here to break down what happened at the Grand Prix de France, the 3rd stop of the figure skating grand prix. From never-before-seen-combos to heroic free programs to how the Canadians fared in France, we’ve got you covered on this episode of ‘That Figure Skating Show.’
Swimming: Mary-Sophie Harvey cashes in
Harvey captured three silver medals at the final stop on the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup tour in Singapore to finish a Canadian-best fifth in the women’s overall rankings. The 25-year-old won nine medals (3 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze) across the three World Cup meets, which all took place over the last three weeks in short-course (25m length) pools. She pocketed a total of $31,000 US in prize money.
Canadian Ingrid Wilm grabbed a pair of bronze medals over the weekend to finish 10th overall with a final count of two silver and five bronze. Sophie Angus was the only other Canadian who competed in any of the three World Cups. She finished with one bronze medal in total.
Women’s overall champion Kate Douglass of the United States earned $184,000 while French star Leon Marchand made $174,000 after taking the men’s title. Here’s the full prize money breakdown.
Harvey and Wilm are among the 18 Canadians who will compete in the short-course world championships next month in Hungary. They’ll be joined by Paris Olympic medallists Summer McIntosh, Kylie Masse and Ilya Kharun, as well as Penny Oleksiak.
