Speed skater Will Dandjinou from Montreal finished fifth in the men’s Olympic short track 1,500 meters on Saturday, following his fourth-place finish in the 1,000 meters in Milan two days earlier. He was a strong contender for a medal in both events and was well-positioned to make a late push in the 1,500 meters, trailing behind leader Jens van ‘T Wout from the Netherlands with four laps to go.
As the race entered its final stages, Dandjinou dropped to third place and then collided with South Korea’s Shin Dong Min as the pack tightened. This incident hindered the 24-year-old’s chances, and he will now aim for a medal in the 500 meters event on Wednesday.
Expressing his disappointment, Dandjinou shared with CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux that despite feeling good during the race, he was bumped out of contention. He vowed to become an Olympic champion in the future, emphasizing his determination.
Former short track Olympian Michael Gilday noted that the collision cost Dandjinou a significant amount of speed, which is crucial in the latter stages of a 1,500 meters race. The intensity of the competition and the impact of such bumps make it challenging to regain lost momentum.
In the race, Jens van ‘T Wout secured the gold medal in the 1,500 meters with a time of two minutes and 12.219 seconds, taking the lead with five laps remaining. Hwang Dae-heon from South Korea claimed the silver (2:12.304), while Latvia’s Roberts Kruzbergs earned the bronze (2:12.376). Dandjinou crossed the finish line in 2:12.639.
Steven Dubois, the silver medalist from the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, faced a setback when he fell during the race at Milano Speed Skating Stadium and ultimately finished in sixth place with a time of 2:36.955. Despite the disappointment, Dubois remains optimistic about his performance in the upcoming 500 meters event.
Dubois advanced to the final round alongside China’s Liu Shaoang after a ruling that Italy’s Thomas Nadalini impeded Dubois when he was in a qualifying position during the semifinals. Dubois, who had been recovering from a hip injury earlier in the season, managed to secure a spot in the finals.
Félix Roussel from Sherbrooke, Quebec, received a yellow card for an unsafe racing move during the semifinals, resulting in a crash and elimination from the competition. Dandjinou, who missed qualifying for the Beijing Olympics four years ago, has since become a dominant figure in the sport, excelling on the ISU World Tour. He is set to compete in the men’s 5,000-meter relay starting with the semifinals on Monday.
Looking ahead, Dandjinou aims to make his mark in the ongoing Games, aspiring to match the record of winning five medals in a single Olympics set by speed skater Cindy Klassen in 2006. The Canadian women’s team also showcased strong performances with several athletes progressing to the quarterfinals and securing spots in upcoming relay finals.
