Kim Boutin gets best result of her promising career at ISU World Cup

MONTREAL – Kim Boutin got the best result of her promising career in front of a home crowd on Saturday.

The 20-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., captured a silver medal in the 1,500 metres at the ISU World Cup short-track speedskating event.

Boutin secured one of the two medals earned by Canadian skaters. Marianne St-Gelais, of Roberval, Que., also won silver in the 1,000.

“No, it’s not my proudest moment to date,” Boutin said when asked. “That’s still my fourth place in the 1,000 at the world championships last year.”

“I’m really happy with my performance. But it’s just another good race in my bag.”

Before Saturday, Boutin’s awards at the senior international level consisted of two bronze medals from 1,000 and 1,500-metre events at last year’s final World Cup event.

“I have only one more podium step left to climb,” she said. “I don’t want to spend this season in silver. I hope to progress up to gold. One step at a time.”

Although she led for a good part of the final, she was dislodged by Shim Suk-hee of South Korea several laps from the end.She resisted a charge from Germany’s Anna Seidel, rallying to the finish in two minutes 25.562 seconds.

On the men’s side, Charles Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, Que., fell in the 1,000 final after colliding with Russia’s Semen Elistratov and had to content himself with sixth place.

The other Canadian in the final, Patrick Duffy of Oakville, Ont., finished fourth.

The race belonged to South Korea’s Kwak Yoon-Gy, in 2:16.780. The Netherlands’ Sjinkie Knegt and China’s Xu Fu took second and third, respectively.

Quebec’s Samuel Girard won the event’s B final.

On the women’s side, St-Gelais was no match for young 17-year-old Korean sensation Choi Minjeong, who was alone in front at the finish of the 1,000.

“I’m not embarrassed to say the Korean was stronger than I was today,” St-Gelais said. “I’m capable of recognizing when I make mistakes. The silver medal is the one I deserved. I don’t have a problem congratulating my rivals.”

St-Gelais made a nice pass a few laps before the finish to overtake China’s Fan Kexin, who finished in 1:32.946.

In the men’s 1,500, Francois Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, Que., finished just off the podium in fourth.

China’s Han Tianyu won in 1:26.298 ahead of his teammate Shi Jingnan and Russia’s Artem Kozlov.