Short track speed skating was integrated into the official program of the Winter Olympics in 1992, in Albertville. Since then, Canada has always won at least three medals in each edition for a total of 33 podiums. The rest of the story is now about to be written in Beijing.
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Led by Marc Gagnon, Charles Hamelin and François-Louis Tremblay, Quebecers have been at the heart of the tradition of excellence in this discipline.
“You just have to follow the process and do what you have to do at the right time, then great things will happen, projected Charles Hamelin in an interview published by Sportcom, before leaving for China. When there is an obstacle in front of us, we all cross it together as a team. We are all on the same page and it is with this in mind that we are going to Beijing.
After the opening ceremonies, during which Hamelin carried the flag with hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin on Friday, the time to perform has now arrived for the short track speed skating team. The first medals will be at stake on Saturday with the presentation of the mixed relay final, a new event. This 2000 meter race relies on two women and two men per team.
Throughout the Games, Canada will also be represented in the women’s 3000m and men’s 5000m relays. In each of the individual events (500 m, 1000 m and 1500 m), the maximum number of three skaters is reached by the Canadian team, with the exception of the 1000 m for men where only two places have been acquired. In short, a lot of action in perspective over the next two weeks as Hamelin and Kim Boutin could smash records.
Florence Brunelle: the youngest
Despite Canada’s rich history in short track speed skating, Quebecer Florence Brunelle will already mark these Beijing Games by becoming, at age 18, the youngest Canadian representative in short track speed skating.
“It’s special to be among the youngest Canadian women to participate in the Olympic Winter Games as well as in my sport,” Brunelle said in a press release sent by Speed Skating Canada. I am super happy and grateful.”
Nine times on the top step
Of the 33 medals won by Canada in short track speed skating, nine are gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze. It is worth recalling the two individual triumphs of Charles Hamelin (500m in Vancouver, 1500m in Sochi), but also those of Annie Perreault (500m in Nagano), Marc Gagnon (500m in Salt Lake City) and by Samuel Girard (1000m in Pyeongchang).
The men’s relay also won three times (Nagano, Salt Lake City, Vancouver) after the initial women’s conquest in Albertville, thanks to Quebecers Annie Perreault, Sylvie Daigle, Nathalie Lambert and Angela Cutrone.
Canada’s medals (in short track speed skating) throughout the Olympic Games
- Albertville (1992) – 3
- Lillehammer (1994) – 3
- Nagano (1998) – 4
- Salt Lake City (2002) – 6
- Torino (2006) – 4
- Vancouver (2010) – 5
- Sochi (2014) – 3
- Pyeongchang (2018) – 5
The greatest Canadian medalists in this discipline
- Marc Gagnon – 5
- Charles Hamelin – 5
- Francois-Louis Tremblay – 5
*Among women, Quebecer Tania Vicent has the most impressive harvest with four Olympic medals, all won in the relay, between 1998 and 2010.