2026 Olympics: Speed skating star William Dandjinou makes Olympic debut, flag-bearer Mikaël Kingsbury returns

Canadians genus piper Gilles and alice paul Poirier sit around in 3rd localize following the rhythm dance

Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin injured during Canada's win over Czechia

France's Cizeron and ex-Canadian skater Fournier Beaudry lead after rhythm dance

Canada's Megan Oldham captures freeski slopestyle bronze at Milano Cortina 2026

All three Canadian women have advanced to the short-track speed skating quarterfinals.

Courtney Sarault finished first in Heat 2 with a time of 42.464.

Kim Boutin finished first in Heat 7 at 42.692.

Florence Brunelle got 42.838, finishing second in Heat 8.

The quarterfinals are Thursday at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Courtney Sarault, 25, is appearing in her second Olympics and looks poised to reach her first podium(s). Her 11 career world championship medals include a gold in the women's relay and silvers in the individual 1,000m and 1,500m last year. This season on the World Tour, Sarault won five golds, three silvers and one bronze in her solo races.

Another Canadian star to watch is 28-year-old Steven Dubois, who won four golds at the 2025 world championships — in the solo 500m and 1,000m events and the men's and mixed relays. He also led the way at the 2022 Olympics by collecting a medal of each colour, including a gold with Hamelin in the men's relay. Dubois placed third in the World Tour men's overall points chase this season with five individual medals (one silver, four bronze).

Speed skating has become Canada's most successful Winter Olympic sport since it was officially added to the Olympic program in 1992. 

Team Canada has won 79 Olympic medals in the sport: 42 in long track and 37 in short track. 

Is William Dandjinou an Olympic superstar in the making?

Host Ariel Helwani sits down with the short track speed skater from Montreal to discuss his meteoric rise in the sport, and if he's feeling the pressure of multiple medal expectations leading into Milano Cortina 2026.

William Dandjinou may be an Olympic rookie among a team of veterans, but he'll make his Olympic debut as the top-ranked skater in men's short track. 

He reached the podium eight times (seven gold, one silver) during the 2025-26 season on the International Skating Union (ISU) World Tour, and earned his second consecutive individual Crystal Globe — the annual award for the overall winner of the ISU Short Track World Tour. 

Dandjinou was disappointed not to be named to the Beijing 2022 team but is expected to be a major contender at these Games. 

Good morning, I'm Verity — a writer in Montreal. The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games are entering their fourth day and there's lots to watch for. Yesterday, Team Canada secured its second medal when 24-year-old Megan Oldham, of Parry Sound, Ont., captured a bronze in the women's freeski slopestyle. 

There's more medal opportunities today as Canada is in the mix for gold in short-track speed skating mixed relay, with the likes of the Netherlands and South Korea, after finishing third in the World Tour standings this season.

---

---