Canada’s Dandjinou seeks redemption at short-track world championships

MONTREAL — William Dandjinou won’t dance around it.

The Canadian short-track speedskating star knows he fell short at last month’s Milan Cortina Olympics, returning home with one medal out of a possible — and coveted — five, but he says his passion for the sport hasn’t wavered.

“It’s obviously a disappointment. I had all the elements I needed to do much better,” he said. “But I still love this sport. I love it a lot.

“I’m sure I’ll always keep this disappointment with me, but I think I can use it positively, too. And that’s what I’m going to do, maybe even this weekend.”

Dandjinou, a two-time Crystal Globe winner who carried sky-high expectations into the Games, is seeking redemption at the short-track world championships in Montreal. Competition runs Friday through Sunday at Maurice Richard Arena, where sold-out crowds of 4,500 are expected over the weekend.

Some members of the Canadian team are framing the event as a revenge tour, though Dandjinou acknowledges a strong showing won’t quite make up for the Olympic letdown.

“For me, yes, there is a part of revenge, but it remains that I am already world champion,” he said. “It’s really the Olympic Games that I was aiming for this season, but I still kept that Olympic form … and I’m happy to know that my teammates are seeing the competition as a way to show Montreal and all of Canada what we’re capable of doing.”

Dandjinou reached the final in all five of his events in Milan, opening the Games with a silver medal in the mixed relay.

He finished fourth in the 1,000 metres and the men’s relay, and fifth in the 500 and 1,500 — bumped off the podium despite dominating the sport in each of his past two seasons. In his last 30 races on the short-track World Tour circuit, he has won gold 15 times.

The 24-year-old from Montreal said he and his father, Alain, sat down in his apartment to reanalyze his races the moment Dandjinou landed back in Montreal in late February.

“We put the emotions aside, and then we looked at things as they were, as they should be analyzed. And honestly, I think it’s super motivating for the next few years,” said Dandjinou, who admitted to making some small mistakes in otherwise strong races.

“I’m going to take a good break after the world championships, but I think in terms of my approach, there are things I could do to be even stronger, and I feel that my potential hasn’t been fully realized yet, so it’s very motivating.”

Dandjinou also took solace in the fact that past greats have faced shortcomings before succeeding on the sport’s biggest stage, including his coach.

Marc Gagnon claimed one medal at each of the 1994 and 1998 Games before breaking out with three — including a gold in the 500 — in Salt Lake City in 2002.

“It’s not a unique experience to have disappointments at big events, and it doesn’t define your career, I think that’s what he got through to me,” Dandjinou said. “It helped me a great deal to share this experience with him.”

Dandjinou said despite the frustration in competition, he still thoroughly enjoyed his first Olympic Games, especially the opportunity to build relationships with athletes from other sports.

He highlighted conversations with long-track speedskater and closing ceremony flag-bearer Valérie Maltais, who won three medals in her final Olympics.

The 35-year-old Maltais transitioned to long track after beginning her career in short track, something Dandjinou — whose six-foot-three frame better suits long-track skating — has considered trying.

“I definitely have the size of a long-track skater, more than short track, but I perform well in short track,” he said. “But to see an athlete who managed to make a transition to long track later in her career, it’s always interesting, especially since it worked well.

“Is it what I’m going to do for the next four years? That would surprise me, I’m still in the short-track mode, and I think I still have good years ahead of me, but I think knowing that it’s a possibility, and seeing an exceptional athlete like Val Maltais do it and shine, it’s incredible.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2026.