Constancy has a new name. Kim Boutin was decorated with silver in all distances this weekend at the World Short Track Championships, which earned her the title of vice-world champion.
Posted yesterday at 8:16 p.m.
After winning silver in the 1,500m and 500m on Saturday, the Sherbrooke resident was not satisfied. She wanted more. On Sunday, she took silver in the 1,000m and the relay.
“To be so consistent during the Worlds is very difficult,” she said at the end of the day. I’m glad I did. It gave me a great experience to see where I was and what I miss for the future. »
The day started with the last individual distance of the weekend, the 1000m. The Sherbrooke resident and her main rival this weekend, the South Korean Minjeong Choi, fought a good battle, but it was Choi who had the upper hand. At the same time, she overtook Boutin for first place in the world.
To determine the final cumulative ranking and crown the women’s and men’s world champions, the top eight athletes per gender competed in a 3000m super final. Boutin had to beat Choi. She did try to overtake her in the last straight line of the 27 laps, without success.
The South Korean, with her 107 points against 84 for the Canadian, won her fourth career world championship title.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
South Korean Minjeong Choi in front of Kim Boutin
“When you have fewer athletes, it’s very one-on-one,” explained Boutin. It’s harder. […] It just makes me want to continue and go fight for first place. »
“Choi is an endurance machine. [Ça m’a permis] to see where I am. These are my tracks… I have to learn to overtake! she added with a laugh.
New Brunswick’s Courtney Sarault, runner-up last year, finished 5thand cumulative rank, as 23-year-old Montrealer Alyson Charles took 7and position.
Remember that the Dutch Suzanne Schulting, world champion in 2021, was absent due to COVID-19.
The team bounces back
The relay final was the last race of the weekend for the women’s side. Boutin, who closed the race for Canada, saw Minjeong Choi – her again – pass her on the home stretch to allow the South Korean troops to triumph. The Dutch inherited bronze.
The representatives of the maple leaf were all smiles after the race, they who had to settle for fourth place at the Olympic Games two months ago.
“We had a great race, we bounced back well from the Olympics,” Boutin said. We were very united. We wanted that one. »
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The representatives of the maple leaf were all smiles after the race, they who had to settle for fourth place in the relay at the Olympic Games.
When asked by a reporter if she intended to continue skating until the 2026 Games, the 27-year-old quadruple Olympic medalist was clear: “I’ll take it one year at a time, but I feel like to believe it. It will be a great challenge for me. »
“In short track, if you want to be on top and stay on top, there is always an evolution to look for, something to improve. That’s what I cling to because that’s what makes me vibrate. »
Pascal Dion also vice-champion
Like Boutin, Pascal Dion finished the competition as vice-world champion for men.
The Montrealer, who won silver in the 1,500m on Saturday, had to get as many points as possible in the 1,000m and in the 3,000m super final on Sunday if he wanted to finish second overall.
To everyone’s surprise, Dion was unable to make his place in the A final of the 1000m. We are talking about a surprise because the 27-year-old skater was crowned World Cup champion in this distance this season. He did, however, win the B final, earning him valuable points in the overall standings.
A few hours later, he triumphed in the difficult 3000m. His 63 points in the standings gave him his first career vice-world title. Happy, the Quebecer took his teammate Charles Hamelin as well as his coaches Marc Gagnon and Sébastien Cros in his arms.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Pascal Dion
“I didn’t know how much energy and legs I would have at the end. Finally, I had some! exclaimed Dion at a press conference.
“It means so much [d’être vice-champion du monde]. It’s all the work for so many years… I arrived in the competition without too many objectives. I knew I was capable of doing good races, but I never thought I would finish second overall. »
This is without a doubt the best season in the career of Pascal Dion, who won five individual medals on the World Cup circuit before the holidays.
Hungarian Shaoang Liu, triple gold medalist this weekend, was crowned world champion for the second year in a row.
The triple Olympic medalist in Beijing Steven Dubois did not have the expected weekend. He ranked 12and overall, while Jordan Pierre-Gilles took 16and rank.