Canada’s Kim Boutin places third overall at short-track speedskating worlds

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Canada’s Kim Boutin was third place overall at the world short-track speedskating championship on Sunday, skating to bronze in the 1,000 metres and sixth in the 3,000 metre super final to earn a cumulative total of 37 points.

Boutin, from Sherbrooke, Que., then led the Canadian team back to the podium in the women’s relay.

Boutin was in second for much of the 1,000-metre final, but a small stumble coming out of the last corner allowed South Korea’s Min Jeong Choi to pass Boutin at the line. Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands took the gold medal.

“In the 1,000 metres, I really gave it my all,” said Boutin about her first medal of the day. “I tried to go for the gold, but unfortunately lost my place a bit. At the end of the day, that’s how I learn though, by pushing through right to the line.”

Schulting, Choi and Boutin finished in the same order in the women’s overall classification, with Schulting earning a total of 81 points over four distances to become new world champion. Last year’s winner, Choi, had to settle for the runner-up position with her 76 points.

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Canada’s women’s relay team included Boutin, Courtney Sarault of Moncton, N.B., Montreal’s Alyson Charles and Camille De Serres-Rainville, also from Montreal. Kasandra Bradette of St. Felicien, Que., joined the team on the podium, having raced in the semifinal on Saturday.

On the men’s side, Samuel Girard of Ferland-et-Boilleau, Que., missed out on the podium in the overall classification, earning 29 points to finish fourth behind South Korea’s Hyo Jun Lim (102 points) and Dae Heon Hwang (55 points), and Semen Elistratov of Russia (44 points).

Steven Dubois also finished in the top 10 overall. The native of Lachenaie, Que., found himself in the 3,000-metre super final in his first world championships, placing ninth in the cumulative rankings.

Reigning world champion Charles Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, Que., had to settle for 18th place in the overall classification.

The Canadian Press