#ShortTrackWorldTour

 Canada's Steven Dubois (left) and William Dandjinou celebrate their one-two finish in the men's 500 m in Montreal on Saturday © ISU

Canadian Short Track is flying high at the moment, and on home ice at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal, William Dandjinou and Steven Dubois spearheaded another Super Saturday for the Ice Maples. 

Dandjinou was the star of the first edition of the ISU Short Track World Tour last weekend, and he repeated his success in the 1500 m, putting in a tactically savvy performance to take gold. 

The blisteringly quick Dubois then tore to victory in the 500 m, just ahead of his teammate. Pietro Sighel of the Italian Gladiators, meanwhile, put in two consistent races to add to his point total in the ISU Crystal Globe standings.

Canadian Ice Maples stand tall again

Dandjinou put on a masterclass in the 1500 m, skating with control throughout in a high-quality A final featuring Sighel, Jens van ‘t Wout of the Dutch Lions and reigning ISU Crystal Globe holder Park Ji Won of the Korean White Tigers.

William Dandjinou (CAN) took 1500 m gold Saturday, fending off challenges by Netherlands' Jens van 't Wout (left) and Pietro Sighel (ITA) © ISU

The Canadian hit the front with four laps to go, and successfully fended off accelerations from Sighel. 

Roberts Kruzbergs of the Latvian Ice Stars, on a high from last weekend’s silver in the 1000 m, executed superbly again to get another silver. Van 't Wout was adjudged to have impeded Sighel and was penalized, with the Italian Gladiator taking bronze. 

“I’m very happy because I think I executed a good tactical race,” said Dandjinou. “There was some fatigue from last weekend still, so I had to be precise with my decision-making and tactics. Overall, I was able to do that pretty well, and the results came.”

Kruzbergs was also content. 

Netherlands' Jens van 't Wout (left) congratulates Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT) after the 1500 m final Saturday © ISU

“Another weekend, another medal, and it’s even better because it is my first ever podium in the 1500 m,” he said. "I’m very happy I can show myself in this race. It is interesting, tactical, there can be many unexpected things in it. You are first and then the next second you are last. But William is incredible. Keeping such a good level is really demanding. He is really hard working, and a genuinely nice person too.”

Sighel said the penalty was unfortunate.

Pietro Sighel (ITA) took bronze in both the 1500 m and 500 m races on Saturday in Montreal © ISU

“I’m sorry for the contact with Jens, but that’s Short Track. I’m competing across all the distances and it is really hard at the moment. I tried to attack, but it’s all good.”

Dubois hits back in 500 m

Steven Dubois was Canada’s main contender for the ISU Crystal Globe last season, and he proved that he can be back in the mix this term, too, with a devastating display in the sprint.

The Quebec crowd felt the rush as he hit the front from the first corner and opened up a remarkable gap that Dandjinou couldn’t claw back. He had to settle for silver; Sighel took another bronze. 

“I wanted to control the pace," said Dubois. "I rolled with another 39 (39-second performance in the semifinal), so I’m super happy with that. I’m still gaining some confidence controlling the pace in front, so I think that’s a big step in the right direction. I’m going to keep working on that. I heard from the announcer that William was second, so I was going as fast as I could. We are all so fast, the trainings are so hard, we’re getting faster and faster.”

Steven Dubois (CAN) opened up an early lead in the 500 m and could not be caught Saturday in Montreal © ISU

Dandjinou admitted it would have been a challenge to catch Dubois.

“With the capacities Steven has, if he is first and has a gap, there is no catching him. It’s about controlling the gap. As soon as I was second, my mindset was more about protecting my position and the rest was history. It’s about knowing your teammates.” 

Dandjinou leads the ISU Crystal Globe standings heading into Sunday's final races on 400. Sighel is second with 296 and Dubois third with 256. Canada leads the Team Crystal Globe standings with 2152 points, ahead of Korea (1818) and Netherlands (1521).

“Tomorrow I want to win two disciplines, and help secure Canada as leaders in the Team Crystal Globe,” said Dandjinou. “There is some fatigue, but everyone else is in the same situation, so it is just about being clear-headed and focusing on the right things. Tonight I’ll be very chill, maybe have a cold bath, and then rest.”

Racing continues Sunday with the women’s 500 m, women’s 1500 m, men’s 1000 m, Mixed Team Relay and men’s 5000m Relay at the Maurice Richard Arena. 

About the ISU Short Track World Tour: Feel the Rush!

The ISU Short Track World Tour is a global series of six elite Short Track ice skating events, spanning across North America, Asia and Europe. With a focus on engaging fans in a brand-new dynamic and entertaining event experience through vibrant competitions, the ISU Short Track World Tour aims to elevate the sport and bring its explosive excitement to a worldwide audience.

With each race, skaters aim for the ultimate prize — the Crystal Globe—awarded to the top male and female skater who accumulate the most points throughout the Short Track World Tour. This is where the world’s best Short Track skaters meet to thrill audiences and Feel the Rush!