Dandjinou wins fourth race in five events; Dubois also golden

Canada’s William Dandjinou continues to dominate the 1,500-metre distance on the World Tour short-track speed skating circuit, adding yet another gold medal to his stellar season.

The 23-year-old secured gold on Saturday in Tilburg, Netherlands, marking his fourth victory in five races. This latest win pushes Dandjinou’s total in the overall 1,500-metre standings to an overwhelming 1,012 points. Dutch skater Jens van ‘t Wout trails far behind with 660 points — a testament to the Montreal native’s dominance at this distance.

On Saturday, Dandjinou surged to an early lead, his powerful strides cutting smoothly through each turn. Van ‘t Wout stayed close behind, but Dandjinou executed each curve flawlessly, expertly defending his position and holding off his Dutch rival. As he crossed the finish line, he threw his arms wide in celebration, confidently sealing his victory.

Dandjinou looked poised to add another medal in the men’s 500-metre event. However, officials disqualified him with a yellow card after he caused a fall during the race, cutting his additional medal hopes short.

Canada celebrated more success on Saturday when Steven Dubois of Terrebonne, Quebec, captured gold in the men’s 500-metre final. He led a Canadian gold-silver finish alongside teammate Jordan Pierre-Gillies from Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Dubois, who earned bronze in the 500m at the 2022 Winter Olympics, edged out Pierre-Gillies with a winning time of 40.313 seconds. Van ‘t Wout (50.605) finished third, rounding out the podium in a highly competitive race. It was the fourth time this season that two Canadians stood together on the 500m podium, having achieved the feat at every World Tour stop except Beijing.

The ISU Short Track World Tour in Tilburg concludes tomorrow with the women’s 500m and 1500m, the men’s 1000m and 5000m relay, and the 2000m mixed relay.