The Canadian Ice Maples – spearheaded by the indomitable William Dandjinou – have been the only show in town for most of the 2025/26 Short Track World Tour, but Sunday at the Hala Olivia in Gdansk saw the rest of the World strike back. 

Jens van ‘t Wout of the Dutch Lions has had some rotten luck this season so far: the Montreal double-header saw him suffer from illness and crashes – and he’d also been on the wrong side of the Short Track gods in Poland on Saturday.

Here, however, he was back to his buccaneering best, powering to victory in the 1000m. While Van ‘t Wout might not be in contention for the ISU Crystal Globe that he finished second in last term, he knows he is a serious gold medal threat as the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games loom into view. 

Dandjinou’s crash in the quarter-finals of the 1000m scuppered his chances of another clean sweep of individual medals, but Pietro Sighel of the Italian Gladiators and Steven Dubois of the Canadian Ice Maples once again performed strongly.

The Republic of Korea, meanwhile, took gold in the men’s 5000m relay – with their leader believing that they can finally break a two-decade-long Olympic hoodoo in the distance with their new line-up. 

Van ‘t Wout on top again in 1000m

The 1000m was highly entertaining throughout the rounds. Dandjinou’s tumble gave the rest of the field reason for hope, while Rim Jongun of the Korean White Tigers picked up a yellow card in a chaotic semi. 

The B final, an amusing prelude to the big event, was a two-man affair involving Thomas Nadalini of the Italian Gladiators and Roberts Kruzbergs of the Latvian Gold Stars. On a corner, the Latvian cut close to the Italian and stumbled. Nadalini had no option but to shove Kruzbergs away into the barriers. He then courteously waited at the finish line so they could cross together.

The A final saw Van ‘t Wout at his best. The Dutchman has stated that he’s had his finest summer of training and was in optimum shape, and his poor fortune has prevented him getting to previous finals. Here, he was bursting with energy. 

He hit the front immediately and let his superior pace do the rest. Sighel and Dubois couldn’t keep up, with the Italian finishing second and the Canadian third.

Jens van 't Wout put his bad fortune - and the rest of the 1000m final field - behind him to win his first gold medal of this year's ISU World Tour. © ISU

“I’ve done this type of thing in training before, and the lap times don’t lie,” said Van ‘t Wout on his strategy. 

“There wasn’t a single non-World or Olympic champion in that final, and I’m not there yet, so the nerves were there. But I knew with the lap times I can skate, nobody can survive that easily. 

“It felt good. I’m happy I did it. Short Track is a hard sport and things needed to come together a little bit. I seemed to be on the wrong side of a lot of things, and also caused some things myself, and this was the first race where I felt in control.”

Dandjinou leads the ISU Crystal Globe standings and looks a cert for the title with 652 points, but Sighel, with 512 points, gained a little ground today to maintain a sliver of hope. 

“It was a really good podium,” said the Italian. “Jens was really fast and he did a really good progression. I tried hard but he was too quick. 

“I’m really happy because six people in a final of a 1000m is crazy, there are more people and there can be trouble.

“William is ahead in the Globe, but my focus is to improve with each race, get to A finals, learn about my rivals with the Olympics coming. Jens has been unlucky this season, but we knew he was coming. He is always really strong.” 

Italian Gladiator Pietro Sighel (left) and Steven Dubois of the Canadian Ice Maples (right) took silver and bronze in a crowded 1000m final. © ISU

Third-placed Dubois concurred. “It was intense, there was a lot of contact, I knew what I needed to do,” he said.

“I did some good passes into the middle of the pack, but Jens was so fast, and I salvaged what I could.”

The Canadian has found consistency this winter. 

“My worst result this year is sixth position, I’ve been in every A final, and I never race the same race, so I’m finding some confidence,” he said. 

“For next week I’ll work really hard to find that gold medal, find what’s missing for me to get to the top of the podium.”

Koreans seek to banish men’s relay curse in Olympic year 

The Republic of Korea have been Short Track’s superpower for the last two decades, but one significant gong has eluded them for five Olympic Games – the men’s 5000m Relay title. 

They didn’t make the A final in 2018 or 2014, and in both 2010 and 2022 they finished second to Canada. They last won Relay gold at Torino back in 2006.

The current team, however, look like they might be the men to finally bring the title back to Korea – again on Italian ice.

The youth of Rim Jongun and level head of Hwang Dae Heon stood out as they beat off competition from China, who finished second, and Italy, who were third. 

Rim Jongun led the Korean White Tigers to victory in the Men's 5000m Relay ahead of China in second and Italy in third. © ISU

Team captain Lee June Seo, who returned to the squad after a lengthy injury, is optimistic. 

“This is my second gold in the relay and we hope we can bring this all the way to Milan,” he said. 

“The young skaters are bringing the energy, and the more experienced ones like Dae Heon are bringing the tactics.

“I’m so happy to be back from injury. It is hard to get back in the Korean team and I want to keep it going. To get that relay gold in the Olympics would mean a lot. We haven’t won the relay gold for 20 years and we need to do it.”

Rim and his team-mates' thoughts now turn towards regaining the Olympic Relay gold Korea last won in Turin in 2006. © ISU

Kwak Yoon-gy, a member of the Korean team which finished second in 2022, was in Gdansk working for Korean media. He believes the time is now, too. 

“In 2022, we were good, but Canada were just too fast and too strong for us,” he said. 

“It was tough. This season, I think this team is very, very fast, and very good. They can win it.

“I’m proud of them, and I think they can take this form and feeling to Milan. They just need to go hard.”

The ISU Short Track World Tour now moves on to the final leg of the 2025/26 season, in Dordrecht, Netherlands, from 27-30 November. 

The destiny of the ISU Crystal Globes – and those vital Olympic qualification places – will be decided.

Men’s ISU Crystal Globe standings 

1. William Dandjinou (Canadian Ice Maples) - 652 points

2. Pietro Sighel (Italian Gladiators) - 512 points

3. Steven Dubois (Canadian Ice Maples) - 492 points