Laurent Dubreuil était en train de souper dans un restaurant des Pays-Bas lorsqu’il s’est adressé aux médias, quelques heures après son triomphe au 500 mètres à la Coupe du monde de Heerenveen, samedi. Sortis de nulle part, des serveurs lui ont apporté des desserts à la crème fouettée, dominés par un immense feu de Bengale pour célébrer sa victoire.
« Est-ce que ça va s’arrêter tout seul », s’est enquis le Québécois dans la langue de Shakespeare. Lui-même étonné, le patineur de vitesse longue piste terminait à peine son repas principal.
Il ne faut pas être surpris que Dubreuil reçoive une telle attention. Les partisans néerlandais et lui entretiennent une belle relation. Lorsqu’il a franchi la ligne d’arrivée et qu’il a mis ses bras de chaque côté pour célébrer humblement sa victoire, les amateurs réunis dans l’aréna l’ont chaudement applaudi.
« C’est ma place préférée dans le monde ! Après Québec évidemment », a-t-il insisté.
Toutefois, il n’a pas pu en profiter pleinement, la veille, avec une dixième position au 1000 m. Il avait remporté l’argent une semaine plus tôt à cette même épreuve en Norvège. Comble de malheur, un incident avec l’équipement de l’Américain Jordan Stolz l’a ralenti et il a été incapable de profiter du bon état physique dans lequel il se trouvait.
D’autant plus qu’en raison d’un mauvais départ, Dubreuil a dû se contenter de la médaille d’argent aussi au 500 m lors de la dernière Coupe du monde.
« Je voulais prendre ma revanche de la semaine passée et d’hier, parce que je n’ai pas pu avoir le résultat que j’aurais pu avoir. […] I was frustrated, I was angry and I wanted to use that aggression to have a good race and get revenge against bad luck. »
He added that to be fully satisfied with his weekend, “I needed this victory today. »
Winning conditions
In the last confrontation of the day, Dubreuil faced his good friend Yuma Murakami. He had been the only one ahead of him in Norway a few days ago. “We texted yesterday. We were happy to be against each other, ”said the athlete from Lévis.
Facing the Japanese was also an interesting challenge for Dubreuil, as Murakami is known to be one of the best in the world at the start. Facet of the race that the Quebecer masters a little less, he admits. This is what sank him last week, he told reporters after his 500m race.
He also had to think about the time to beat. Wataru Morishege had deprived Dubreuil of a medal at the last Olympic Games and he had set the best time of the day on Saturday with an impressive time of 34.44 seconds. Dubreuil knew he was going to have to deliver a great performance to hope to get ahead of him and that’s what motivated him.
“I like to think I’m better than him. […] I can legitimately say that I am the best in the world and my goal is to beat the guys. So if Morishege does an incredible time, I tell myself that if he does that, I can do it too, ”he said.
At the gunshot, Dubreuil got out of the blocks much faster than in Norway. He stopped the start clock at 9.60 seconds. Only three tenths behind Murakami. “It was still a very good start. With a 9.60, I knew I could win. »
The 30-year-old athlete quickly caught up to impose his rhythm. He exploded and spun to victory. He completed the half kilometer in 34.34 seconds.
“I am fully satisfied with my race. There are always things to improve and correct. However, today was really almost perfect. One of my good races in career. »
This first gold medal of the season is timely for Dubreuil. It came to fill in him the regret of having missed the top step of the podium last Saturday. “My second place last week was very good, but in the 500m I knew I probably should have won. »
Dubreuil can now celebrate, with or without a sparkler, but the celebrations will be short-lived, since he will participate in the team sprint on Sunday.