Pascal Dion and Kim Boutin named ISU short track vice world champions in Montreal
It was a busy Sunday for Canadian speed skaters at the ISU World Short Track Championship in Montreal. As the event concluded, Pascal Dion and Kim Boutin landed second overall, while Charles Hamelin finished his illustrious short track career with a bronze medal in the men’s 5000m relay.
Montreal’s Pascal Dion stood on top of the world championship podium for the first time at Maurice Richard Arena. In front of a home crowd, he clocked a time of 4 minutes and 42.214 in the men’s 3000m superfinal to best Korea’s June Seo Lee (4:42.214) and Netherland’s Sjinkie Knegt (4:42.721). With a total of 63 points, Dion is classified as the second overall World Champion to close out the competition.
After claiming two silver medals on Saturday in the 500m and 1500m events, Boutin returned to the track on Sunday and added three more to her collection. She finished second in the women’s 1000m after skating a time of 1:28.076. Korea’s Minjeong Choi (1:27.956) finished in the top spot and Netherland’s Xandra Velxeboer (1:29.144) rounded out the podium with bronze.
READ: Boutin banks two silvers in world championships in Montreal
Boutin went on to claim silver once again in the women’s 3000m superfinal after skating to a time of 5:05.734. Korea’s Minjeong Choi (5:05.641) finished with gold and Whimin Seo, also of Korea, finished with bronze and a time of 5:06.840.
After claiming her fourth individual silver, Boutin teamed up with Courtney Sarault, Alyson Charles and Florence Brunelle to race to another silver medal, this time in the women’s 3000m relay event. Canada looked poised to finish first but the Koreans snatched the gold in a photo finish. Korea clocked a time of 4:09.683 to edge out the Canadians who posted a score of 4:09.717. The Netherlands took bronze in 4:09.779.
With a total of 84 points this season, Boutin closes out competition as the second overall World Champion.
Before hanging up his skates, the ‘Locomotive de Sainte-Julie’, Charles Hamelin had a storybook ending. He won bronze in his last-ever race with Pascal Dion, Jordan Pierre-Gilles and Steven Dubois in the men’s 5000m relay. This relay was Hamelin’s 38th world championship medal.
The Canadian men posted a time of 6:56.807. The Korean team took top spot with a time of 6:56.709, while the Netherlands finished in second and posted 6:56.786.
Sunday concludes competition at the ISU World Short Track Championships in Montreal.
