#ShortTrackWorldTour

Jens van 't Wout (NED) won 1000 m and Mixed Relay gold Sunday in Montreal © ISU

If William Dandjinou of the Canadian Ice Maples was the overall superstar of the opening weekend of the ISU Short Track World Tour  – winning two gold on Saturday, before adding the men’s 5000 m Relay title on Sunday – then Jens van 't Wout of the Dutch Lions wasn’t far behind.

The quicksilver Dutchman won the 1000 m with a brilliant display, and anchored a well co-ordinated Mixed Relay unit to victory to help seal a strong weekend for his national team.

It was also a great Sunday for best friends Roberts Kruzbergs of the Latvia Golden Stars and Michal Niewinski of the Polish Hussars, who grabbed podium places together.

'I don’t do math, I just skate as fast as I can'

Most of the crowd would have bet on Dandjinou winning the 1000 m on Sunday – he is World Champion in the distance and looked unstoppable in both of Saturday's individual races. The Short Track gods are unpredictable, however, and the home favorite fell in the semifinal.

Van 't Wout was the beneficiary. He set a blistering pace in the final to finish ahead of Kruzbergs (silver) and Niewinski (bronze).

“It was amazing — luck was a bit more on my side today. I’m very happy with the race,” said van ‘t Wout, who earlier in the day led the Dutch Lions to glory in the Mixed Relay, ahead of Korea and Canada. “I am making good progress, making some jumps.

“It’s amazing to win the team gold, too. We have such a strong team, and to win with different variations every time is great, a great feeling. It’s really nice being part of the Dutch Lions and going for the overall Crystal Globe because our ladies are so strong, and the men are really starting to get there as well. I haven’t done the maths on it. I don’t do math, I just skate as fast as I can and hope the points come.”

Just behind him were some delighted Eastern Europeans. 

“It’s a great day for me and Roberts, we are best friends, we train together,” said Niewinski. “As soon as I crossed the line I shouted, 'Roberts, Roberts, we’re here together'. This is my second podium. I got a medal before in Gdansk. It means Poland is starting to be a real deal in short track.”

Michal Niewinski (POL) took bronze in the 1000 m Sunday in Montreal © ISU

Kruzbergs, too, was thrilled to share the moment. 

“We train together, we play League of Legends and Counter Strike computer games together, we go jogging, biking, the friendship is really solid,” he said. “It is the best thing to be on the podium together. And Montreal is a special place for me. I won my first gold medal here, so it’s great to be back on the podium."

Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT) finished just behind Jens van 't Wout in the 1000 m Sunday in Montreal © ISU

'He is a beast'

The home fans in the Maurice Richard Arena had to wait for the men’s 5000 m Relay to get their moment of Dandjinou glory. Joined by the brilliant Steven Dubois, Jordan Pierre-Gilles and Felix Roussel for the final, the Ice Maples had too much speed for the opposition and the star of the weekend led them home in the anchor leg.

William Dandjinou led Canada to gold in the 5000 m Relay Sunday in Montreal to claim his third gold of the weekend © ISU

“Our team is pretty disgusting, having four guys in the top seven in the world,” said Roussel. "We expect to win, we skate with confidence, we know we have a target on our back so we have to show up for the crowd."

He was full of praise for Dandjinou.

"William is a beast, and training beside him you get to see what it takes to be the best. He carries us with him. It’s an individual sport, but we’ve got to train as a team.”

The Chinese Loongs took silver, and the Dutch Lions the bronze. Liu Shaolin, the most decorated skater in the men’s field, was certainly impressed with the new Canadian sensation.

“He is a superstar and he is a great guy,” said Liu of Dandjinou. “What he is doing on the ice now is crazy. Congrats to him. I hope he can keep this level, because it will just make the sport more interesting. I’m really happy with the team, but this is not our weekend. From here we can only go up.”

Liu Shaolin (CHN)  and Pietro Sighel (ITA), shown in the 500 m heats, finished second and fourth in the 5000 m Relay Sunday in Montreal © ISU

Dandjinou, meanwhile, scarily said the weekend left “a lot of room for improvement”.

“I’d give my performance six or seven out of 10 this weekend. I got three golds from five distances,” he said. “I fell in the 1000 m. It happens. Having room for improvement is motivating. I am still learning and I’m super grateful that I get to live this.”

Many young fans left the arena wearing Dandjinou merchandise. 

“You can buy a cap, a T-shirt, a skin suit,” said Dandjinou. “When I was a kid I wanted to represent my favorite skaters and I never could, so this is a chance for the young generation here to do what I wanted to. I hope the kids feel proud.”

His Canada Ice Maples top the current standings for the ISU Team Crystal Globe, with 1434 points, ahead of the Korean White Tigers (1324) and Dutch Lions (1217).

The second round of the ISU Short Track World Tour takes place Nov. 1-3 at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal.

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!