Canada’s Dubois grabs bronze in 1500m skate

Canada’s Steven Dubois picked up a bronze medal in the men’s 1500-metre race at an ISU short-track speed skating World Cup event on Saturday.

Dubois of Lachenaie, Que., finished in two minutes and 13.424 seconds, just behind the Netherlands’ Sjinkie Knegt (2:13.113) and June Seo Lee of South Korea (2:13.214).

“The race felt great,” said Dubois.

“It started super fast, so I wasn’t sure what to do. I ended up staying in the back, waiting for them to slow down. It never happened, so in the last two or three laps I gave it my all and went outside to get into the third position.

Dubois added that he wasn’t expecting a podium finish so early in the season.

“I’m super happy to get a bronze medal here,” he said.

“I was expecting medals this year, but for it to come so soon — in the second World Cup — gives me a lot of confidence for what’s coming next.”

Five-time Olympic medallist Charles Hamelin of Saint-Julie, Que., came in a tie for second in the B final.

Charle Cournoyer of Boucherville, Que., ended up just off the podium in the 1,000-metre final, recording a time of 1:24.997 behind third-place Ji Won Park of South Korea’s 1:24.705. Shaolin Sandor Liu of Hungary picked up gold, while Ziwei Ren of China grabbed silver.

On the women’s side, Camille De Serres-Rainville of Montreal came in fifth in the 1500 with a time of 2:23.851. Min Jeong Choi and Ji Yoo Kim of South Korea, took gold and silver, respectively.