Canada claimed its first short track speed skating gold medal of the season in the men’s 5000-metre relay at the World Cup opener in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday.
The quartet of Charles Hamelin (Saint-Felicien, Que.), Charle Cournoyer (Boucherville, Que.), Samuel Girard (Ferland-et-Boilleau, Que.), and Pascal Dion (Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que.) clocked in at six minutes, 46.191 seconds to edge China by 0.005 seconds. Japan was third with a time of 6:47.8.25.
The Canadian women’s 3000 relay team of Valerie Maltais (Saguenay, Que.), Marianne St-Gelais and Kasandra Bradette (both of Saint-Felicien, Que.), and Jamie Macdonald (Fort St. James, B.C.) also reached the podium, notching a silver medal.
South Korea took gold in 4:08.393, Canada was next at 4:09.817, while Russia was third at 4:10.382.
Meanwhile, Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke, Que., continued her strong start to the season by capturing silver in the 1000, a day after finishing second in the 1500.
Boutin finished with a time of 1:34.799 and was once again the runner-up to South Korea’s Jeong Min Choi’s winning mark of 1:34.660. Elise Christie of Great Britain took bronze at 1:34.852.
In the 1000 B final, Valerie Maltais of Saguenay, Que., finished first in 1:30.982, almost five seconds in front of the pack.
