Canada wins five short-track speedskating medals at World Cup event

NAGOYA, Japan – Audrey Phaneuf earned her first career medal and Francois Hamelin won his first gold on Sunday at a short-track speedskating World Cup event.

The Canadian short-track speedskating team collected five medals on Sunday, finishing the competition with a total of eight podium results.

Marianne St-Gelais extended her streak of individual podium finishes to six in as many events so far this season after winning silver in the women’s 1,000 metres, while the men’s and women’s relay teams each won bronze.

Hamelin, from Sainte-Julie, Que., skated in front from start to finish to beat Russia’s Artem Kozlov and China’s Chen Guang in the men’s 500 metres.

“It was a perfect day,” said Hamelin. “It’s not often that I can say that, but it was the case for all my races today, they were all perfect,.

“I was able to get a clear advantage on the other skaters at the start. And after that I just went for it, gave it my all and I was never in danger throughout the race. I’m really happy and I will savour this.”

It’s Hamelin’s third medal this season. The skater who turns 29 on Dec. 18 also won bronze in the 1,500 metres at the Toronto stage last month. This is already his best-ever individual medal tally over a season, after winning two medals in 2010-2011.

The 19-year-old Phaneuf, from Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., won her first career individual medal on the senior international scene with a bronze in the women’s 500.

Phaneuf took advantage of a penalty to South Korea’s Shim Suk Hee, after the latter overtook her, to step on the podium. China’s Fan Kexin and Germany’s Anna Seidel respectively won gold and silver.

“It was a very fun and exciting day today. I’m quite happy,” said Phaneuf, who won a silver medal in the 500 metres at last season’s World Junior Championships. “I came up with the second-best time in qualifying and I knew I had a chance. I skated with confidence, but I was also a little bit tense because I know I’m young and I don’t have much experience. Today was a big step!”

St-Gelais, from Saint-Felicien, Que, continued to build on her phenomenal start to the season by winning her sixth individual medal in six races so far this World Cup season. Sunday, St-Gelais won her second silver medal of the season in a 1,000-metre event.

St-Gelais found a spot between South Korean skaters Choi Minjeong, who won gold, and Kim Alang, who earned bronze.

On the men’s side, the Canadian team of Hamelin, Charle Cournoyer of Boucherville, Que., Samuel Girard of Ferland-et-Boilleau, Que., and Patrick Duffy of Oakville, Ont., won bronze in an exciting final where Canada as well as the Netherlands and China, who respectively won gold and silver, traded spots in front during the last lap.

On the women’s side, St-Gelais, Phaneuf, Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Que., and Kasandra Bradette, also from Saint-Felicien, also finished third. South Korea won gold and China collected silver.

In the men’s 1,000 metres, Charles Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, was the fourth Canadian skater on Sunday to skate in a A final. Hamelin was penalized, however, when he tried to overtake Freek van der Wart of the Netherlands.

The Canadian team now has a total of 24 medals after three World Cup stages this season.