Latest news with #Dandjinou
NBC Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
William Dandjinou flew from Olympic heartbreak to become world's best short track speed skater
Inside Montreal's Maurice Richard Arena, home to the world's dominant short track speed skating team, a not unreasonable target is written on a locker room board. Five Olympic golds. 'So there's five medal opportunities,' at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, reasoned William Dandjinou. 'I want to be able to seize those opportunities as best as I can, I guess.' In a three-year span, Dandjinou went from the sixth-best male short track speed skater in Canada — missing the five-man 2022 Olympic team by one spot — to the best in the world last season. Canada won all four men's events at this past March's World Championships, plus gold in the mixed-gender relay. The goal for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics: own the podium again. 'It (the board) is in my locker room where all my teammates can see, and I guess they have the same objectives as well,' Dandjinou said. 'So we'll work together to get there, and we'll see what happens.' Dandjinou, tall for a short tracker at 6 feet, 3 inches (and nearly seven feet on skates), is the son of microbiologists who volunteer at his competitions: dad Alain, who immigrated to Quebec from Ivory Coast (coincidentally an icemaker while at university), and mom Mirabelle, born and raised in Quebec City. Dandjinou was on the ice at age 2, said he was inspired by watching American Shani Davis win long track gold on TV at age 4 and began speed skating himself at age 6 in Montreal's Saint-Michel neighborhood. By 15, he had already risen above the competition. He caught the eyes of coach Marc Gagnon, a three-time Olympic gold medalist. 'The first time we were seeing him, we were like, yeah, we know that guy can go really far,' Gagnon said. 'We could see right away his potential.' Dandjinou made Canada's team for the World Junior Championships at 17. He began competing on the senior World Cup circuit at 18. At 20, he was in contention to make the 2022 Olympic team. He could have been the youngest Canadian Olympic male short tracker since Gagnon at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Dandjinou's results in limited international opportunities in fall 2021 weren't enough to break into the more experienced five-man team for the Beijing Games. A coach had to deliver the news to him. In past Games, the alternate traveled to the Olympics just in case, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other reasons, that didn't happen in 2022. Gagnon recalled 'how low (Dandjinou) was, how disappointed, how unhappy, how much he wanted to quit skating.' Determined, Dandjinou took solace in his youth, his work ethic and the potential that could be unlocked over the next four years. But then came a more heartbreaking setback later that year. Dandjinou was seventh overall in trials for the 2022-23 World Cup season. 'I worked harder than ever during that offseason because I knew I wanted to be part of that team,' he said. 'And then qualifiers arrive, and I get a lower ranking than before.' Dandjinou then took three weeks off from short track. It wasn't substantial enough to say he quit the sport, but he did spend about two weeks testing out long track speed skating 'I had to think through what was going to happen with my career and where I wanted to go,' he said. 'Going through long track was something I've always wanted to try, and I'm still open to trying, eventually, on a more serious level. It was more about experimenting and gaining perspective on my sport.' Later in fall 2022, Dandjinou got a call. Another Canadian skater was injured. Dandjinou was promoted to the World Cup team. In his first event back, he made his first career A final on the circuit, placing fourth in a 1500m in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It took another year for Dandjinou to take the next step. It was October 2023 at an early season World Cup in Maurice Richard Arena. Upon reaching the semifinals of one race, Dandjinou allowed himself to dream. What celebration would I do if make the podium at home? Dandjinou, sparked by eight-time Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno's expressiveness on the ice, trialed some ideas with his roommates. He anchored Canada to a relay victory and broke out Stephen Curry's 'Night, Night.' They eventually settled on a move Dandjinou calls 'spreading my wings.' Dandjinou won a 1500m in Montreal over the 2022 Olympic gold medalist in the event, Hwang Dae-Heon of South Korea, and started flapping before crossing the finish line. 'I wanted something that was unique, and I felt like the wings also was pretty representative, because I always performed well on the national level, right? But internationally was always pretty hard for me, especially on the senior level,' he said. 'So it was like a bird flying away from the nest, I guess. It felt good. And when I did it, I think the crowd felt my emotions as well.' BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 16: William Dandjinou of Canada pose with their medals after competing in the Men's 1000m Finals during the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships on March 16, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang - International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images) (International Skating Union via Getty Images) Dandjinou won twice more on the World Cup in the 2023-24 season, plus took the 1000m at the March 2024 World Championships. He spread his wings after each victory. In the 2024-25 season, Dandjinou won eight of the 18 individual races and earned the crystal globe trophy as the world's top-ranked skater overall. The trophy rests at Maurice Richard Arena, another tangible piece of motivation for the entire Canadian team. Then at this past March's worlds, Dandjinou added three gold medals (1500m, men's relay, mixed relay) and one silver. Teammate Steven Dubois won the 500m and 1000m to give Canada a sweep of the men's events. Dandjinou's height can alter races both ways. It makes it difficult for others to pass him, but also tougher for him to weave through the field. He doesn't accelerate as quickly as shorter skaters, but once he's up to speed, it's easier for him to maintain the momentum. 'You can really feel that it gets hard for opponents sometimes to understand what I'm doing,' he said, 'because I'm doing my own thing.' Dandjinou now has his own logo as part of his own apparel collection. Back in February 2022, he felt pride, and some relief, as Canada won the Olympic men's relay without him. Now, they will be counting on him. Perhaps to anchor a relay, and to deliver a fitting celebration in Milan. 'If they wouldn't have won (in 2022), then it would have been more heartbreaking to me, because I would have felt like maybe I could have done something to get them over the edge,' he said. 'Maybe I was just not ready. It helped me go over that and try to work harder to be there the next (time).' Nick Zaccardi,
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadian short-track speedskating team finishes season with six more medals
BEIJING — Steven Dubois and William Dandjinou finished 1-2 in the men's 1,000-metre race and led relay teams to world titles as Canada finished its season with six medals overall Sunday at the world short track speedskating championships. Canada also won four medals Saturday, giving it 10 overall, including six golds. The 10 medals are the most for the Canadian team since it captured 10 in 1996 and the six golds are the most since it had seven, also in 1996. Dubois, of Lachenaie, Que., won the 1,000-metre event in one minute 23.348 seconds, followed by Dandjinou, of Montreal, in 1:23.352. Italy's Pietro Sighel was third in 1:23.417. "This is all pretty crazy, there are really no other words," Dubois said. "We were hoping for some good results, and we knew we had a shot in every distance, but for us to win literally everything we touched on the ice this weekend is surreal. "We are the strongest team, and we showed it. It feels good to end the year on such a good note." Dubois and Dandjinou helped Canada capture the mixed 2,000-metre relay with Florence Brunelle of Trois-Rivières, Que., and Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke, Que. The Canadians won the race in 2:36.232 ahead of Italy (2:36.619) and Poland (2:41.860). The men's relay squad of Dubois, Dandjinou, Felix Roussel of Sherbrooke and Montreal's Maxime Laoun went wire-to-wire for the victory in 6:41.271. China (6:41.840) was second ahead of Korea (6:41.891). "Beijing really has a special place in my heart," Laoun said. "We were crowned Olympic champions here and now world champions. "As a team, we have not won the men's relay world championships since 2013. It's a title that we wanted badly and all year we were working toward this goal. There is no better feeling than finishing on the top of the podium with my friends." Courtney Sarault of Moncton, N.B., was second in the women's 1,500-metre race while Fredericton's Rikki Doak captured silver in the 500-metre event. "Winning my first world championship medal is crazy," said Doak. "I felt really good going into my races, which gave me confidence to be able to do what I did." The Canadian team finished the 2024-25 season with 37 medals overall. "A world championship title is never guaranteed, so to be able to perform like this against such a strong field is amazing," said Dandjinou. "And we're going to work even harder this summer to make sure it happens again and again." This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2025. The Canadian Press
NBC Sports
16-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Canada dominates World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
Canada won six of the nine events at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Beijing, taking momentum into the 2025-26 Olympic season. Steven Dubois led the way with four titles, including individually in the men's 500m and 1000m and with the men's and mixed-gender relays. William Dandjinou, the world's top-ranked man this season, took the 1500m. Canada also won the women's 3000m relay, plus took silver in all three individual women's events -- Courtney Sarault in the 1000m and 1500m and Rikki Doak in the 500m. Canada won the most events outright at worlds for the first time since 1994. SHORT TRACK: Full Results Dubois, a 5-foot, 6-inch 27-year-old from Quebec, earned his first individual world titles in his sixth appearance at worlds. Dubois was sixth overall at the 2018 Olympic Trials, where the top five made up the team for PyeongChang. He made it to the 2022 Olympics and won a medal of every color -- relay gold, 1500m silver and 500m bronze. Dandjinou, a 6-foot, 3-inch 23-year-old from Quebec, has climbed to the top of the sport since being the alternate for the 2022 Olympic team. Dandjinou's father, Alain, left his native Cote d'Ivoire for Canada in 1990 and became familiar with skating from his first job making the ice at an outdoor rink at Université de Sherbrooke, according to CBC Sports. The best U.S. finish at worlds was fourth in the men's relay. American Kristen Santos-Griswold, the world's top-ranked woman this season, withdrew from worlds after she was involved in a collision on Friday's qualifying day. 'I've always prided myself on my ability to persevere through falls and injuries,' she posted Sunday. 'I kept the door open to race today on the final day of World Champs, but unfortunately, it's just not the safe or smart choice this time. While I'm heartbroken to miss racing on the biggest stage of the season and in front of the amazing crowd here in Beijing, I have so much to be proud of this year. Looking ahead to next year and the Olympic season, I'm more excited and determined than ever. Oh yeah... and you can catch me rocking number 1 on my helmet next season.' Corinne Stoddard, ranked No. 3 in the world this season, did not compete at worlds in order to prioritize her health. Nick Zaccardi,
CBC
13-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Canada's (very tall) short track star could own the world championships
Social Sharing What a week to be a speed skating fan! The world single-distances championships for long track skaters began today in Norway, where the Canadian trio of Brooklyn McDougall, Béatrice Lamarche and Ivanie Blondin took silver in the women's team sprint. Canada finished sixth in the men's team sprint. At last year's world championships in Calgary, Canada won gold in both events en route to capturing a national-record 10 medals. Blondin also placed eighth in the women's 3,000 metres today, right behind Canadians Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann, who were sixth and seventh. Canada's Ted-Jan Bloemen and Graeme Fish were seventh and 13th, respectively, in the men's 5,000m. Meanwhile, the best short track skaters are in Beijing for their world championships, which start Friday with qualifying rounds for the medal races on Saturday and Sunday. Canadians will be in contention for plenty of hardware after racking up a total of 37 medals across the six World Tour stops this season, including 21 gold, to give Canada a comfortable victory over the Netherlands and Italy for the team championship. WATCH | Canada claims women's team sprint silver: Canadian women capture team sprint silver at speed skating worlds 56 minutes ago Duration 3:08 The top Canadian to watch is Will Dandjinou, who's poised to be a big star at next year's Winter Olympics in Italy after missing the cut for the 2022 Games. Unusually tall for a short-tracker, the 23-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., stands 6-foot-3 without skates, stretching far beyond the 5-foot-9 frame he figures is ideal for his sport. "There's no blueprint for us tall guys," Dandjinou said in a recent interview. But he's clearly made his relative lankiness work for him. Dandjinou won gold in the 1,000m at last year's world championships, and this season he's been the most dominant short-tracker on the planet, winning a global-high eight individual races on the World Tour to capture his first men's overall championship along with the 1,000m and 1,500m titles. Dandjinou also helped Canada to the men's relay title and finished second in the 500m to his teammate Steven Dubois, giving Canada a clean sweep of the five men's World Tour crystal globes. Here's more on Dandjinou's rise from CBC Sports' Devin Heroux. Dubois is another guy to watch this week in Beijing. He captured a complete set of Olympic medals — gold in the relay, silver in the 1,500 and bronze in the 1,000 — on this same ice surface at the 2022 Winter Games. The 27-year-old has yet to win a world title, but he earned a pair of individual medals at the 2023 worlds in the short-track hotbed of Seoul before missing the podium last year in the Netherlands. On the women's side, Canada will look to upgrade its relay bronze from last year's worlds after tying Italy for top spot in the World Tour standings. The top Canadians in the women's overall chase were Danae Blais and Florence Brunelle, who placed seventh and eighth. Blais finished third in the 1,000m standings while Brunelle was third in the 500m. Four-time Olympic individual medallist Kim Boutin, who won her first world title last year in the 500m, finished 13th in the overall chase this season. But she did help Canada place second in the mixed relay and should have a shot at the podium in that event this weekend. The full list of Canadians at the short track worlds: Men William Dandjinou: 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m Steven Dubois: 500m, 1,000m Maxime Laoun: 1,500m Jordan Pierre-Gilles: 500m Félix Roussel: 1,000m, 1500m Women Danaé Blais: 1,000m, 1,500m Kim Boutin: 500m Florence Brunelle: 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m Rikki Doak: 500m Courtney Sarault: 1,000m, 1,500m Each Canadian skater is also eligible to compete in relays. How to watch:
CBC
16-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Canada claims team Crystal Globe, Dandjinou wins 1,000m at short track World Tour finale in Milan
Canadian mixed, men's relay teams earn silver on final day at 2026 Olympic venue Canadian speed skater William Dandjinou capped his dominant short track World Tour season with another gold while Canada won the team Crystal Globe on Sunday at the finale in Milan, Italy. The 23-year-old rising star clocked one minute 23.025 seconds in the men's 1,000 metres to beat Italian favourite Pietro Sighel (1:23.119) and South Korea's Jang Sung-woo (1:23.220), claiming his Tour-best eighth individual victory of the season. Montreal's Dandjinou, the reigning world champion in the distance, made history Saturday by becoming Canada's first-ever overall Crystal Globe winner. He is aiming to make his Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026 on the same oval. Dandjinou finished first overall in the 1,500m standings and second in both the 500m and 1000m. WATCH l Dandjinou skates to 1,000m gold in Milan: Dandjinou also helped Canada win silver medals in the men's 5,000m relay and 2,000m mixed team relay on the final day of competition. Canada was awarded the first-ever team crystal globe, which is based on the results from every race this season. The Ice Maples topped the final standings with 8,731 points — 1,812 more than second-place finishers Netherlands. The Canadians raised their season total to 37 medals across six Tour stops, including a record 21 gold. The women's and men's relay teams finished the season ranked first overall, while the mixed relay squad placed second overall after a breakthrough season. Canada's Steven Dubois clinched the 500m title, with teammate Jordan Pierre-Gilles finishing in a three-way tie for third in the distance. WATCH l Canadian team, Dandjinou receive Crystal Globes: Media Video | Canada awarded Short Track World Tour Crystal Globes for team and overall men's titles Caption: Watch the Canadian Ice Maples receive their Crystal Globe for winning the team title, along with Montreal's William Dandjinou claiming the Crystal Globe for winning the men's title, at the ISU Short Track World Tour finale in Milan, Italy. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage. Canada's mixed relay squad was upgraded from bronze after Italy was penalized due to an illegal lane change. Dandjinou, Pierre-Gilles, Danaé Blais, Florence Brunelle, Félix Roussel, Kim Boutin and Courtney Sarault posted a time of 2:38.187. The Dutch team topped the podium in 2:38.005, while Japan (2:38.339) was moved up to bronze. Pierre-Gilles, Dandjinou and Roussel returned to the podium in the men's relay alongside Dubois and Maxime Laoun with a time of 6:42.878, just 0.06 seconds behind the Italian team. Kazakhstan (6:46.068) took bronze. The short track world championships are set for March 14-16 in Beijing.
