(Montreal) Kim Boutin and Pascal Dion both finish the World Short Track Championships in second place overall.
Posted at 3:14 p.m.
Updated at 4:04 p.m.
Everything was confirmed on Sunday afternoon, during the last individual events of the event which has been taking place since Friday at the Maurice-Richard arena, in Montreal.
Kim Boutin first won her third silver medal of the weekend in the 1000m. The Sherbrooke resident took first place from the start of the very tough final, followed by her teammate Courtney Sarault. The two Canadians led the charge in the first two laps, until South Korea’s Whimin Seo passed on the outside to take the lead.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Kim Boutin (center) took 2and rank in the 1000 meter final.
Halfway through the race, Boutin regained the lead before being overtaken by the other South Korean, her main rival, Minjeong Choi. The latter won gold, while Dutch Xandra Velzeboer took bronze.
New Brunswick’s Courtney Sarault lost her footing while trying to pass on the penultimate corner. She received help from Boutin to leave the rink.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Courtney Sarault and Kim Boutin
On the men’s side, no Canadian was able to make it through to the A final of the 1000m. In the semi-finals, Steven Dubois was deported after contact with an opponent in a turn and finished last in his heat.
For his part, Pascal Dion fought well in a very busy race in terms of overtaking. He took third place, which was not enough to secure his place in the final. It’s a disappointment for the Montrealer, who is the World Cup champion in this distance this season. He did, however, win his B final, earning him valuable points in the cumulative standings.
In the A final, the Hungarian Shaoang Liu won the gold medal, his third of the weekend. He thus secured the title of world champion.
Then the 3000m
To determine the final cumulative ranking, the top eight athletes per gender competed in a 3000m super-final.
Kim Boutin had to finish first ahead of Minjeong Choi to win the title of world champion. She came very close to getting there, but had to settle for second place.
Pascal Dion, who had won silver in the 1500 meters on Saturday, was fighting for the title of vice-world champion. He delivered the goods by winning the 3000m, ahead of South Korean Seo June Lee and Dutchman Sjinkie Knegt.
Around 4 p.m. the finals of the women’s and men’s relays will take place. The two Canadian teams will try to make their place on the podium. It will also be the last lap in the career of six-time Olympic medalist Charles Hamelin.