DRESDEN, Germany - William Dandjinou struck gold as part of a three-medal day for Canada at a short track speedskating World Cup event on Saturday.
The Montreal native won the men's 1,500 metres with a time of two minutes 11.460 seconds. It was Dandjinou's third gold medal in the event this season.
“I feel very good and I'm happy to be back on the podium. It was a bit of a surprise because I didn't feel like I had the legs I had at previous competitions,” Dandjinou said. “I'm happy with the result and for staying in the race for the Crystal Globe.”
Belgium's Stijn Desmet (2:11.711) and South Korea's Kim Gun Woo (2:11.785) earned silver and bronze, respectively.
Canada's other two medals came in the men's 1,000.
Felix Roussel of Sherbrooke, Que., grabbed silver stopping the clock at 1:26.482. Meanwhile, Steven Dubois of Terrebonne, Que., earned bronze by crossing the line in 1:26.559.
South Korea's Park Ji Won took gold in 1:26.406.
“It was a big day for me, I felt more confident as the rounds went on and I had good legs,” Roussel said. “I'm proud of the medal and the fact that I now have one in every distance this season, but what I remember most is that I learned a lot about myself after racing with what are undoubtedly two of the best skaters in the world.
“It motivates me for the future to see what I need to go for gold, but I feel rewarded for my efforts over the last few months since the Asian World Cups.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2024.