Canadian speed skater Laurent Dubreuil races to World Cup silver medal in Poland

Canada's Laurent Dubreuil raced to silver in the men's 500-metre race Saturday at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup stop in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland.

The 31-year-old from Quebec City finished in 34.77 seconds, just 0.07 behind gold medallist Tingyu Gao of China and 0.05 ahead of Japan's Wataru Morishige

"Starting with the start, 9.58 is an excellent time. My best start of the season. At any moment, when I do 9.50 at sea level, it's very good. It immediately puts me in the running for a medal," Dubreuil said in a release.

"I had a bit of trouble at the end of the race, maybe I lost my position. If there was one more thing I could have done better to get the few hundredths that separated me from victory, that was it. I'm very satisfied, and it's not for nothing that I celebrated at the end of the race. I didn't feel very good up until now."

WATCH l Dubreuil earns silver in men's 500-metre race:

Canada's Laurent Dubreuil strikes silver in men's 500m World Cup race

12 months ago

Duration 1:59

Laurent Dubreuil of Levis, Que., won a silver medal in the men's 500-metre race, at the ISU World Cup speed skating event in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland.

The Canadian women's team pursuit squad of Valérie Maltais (Saguenay Que.), Ivanie Blondin (Ottawa), and Béatrice Lamarche (Quebec City) also struck silver, stopping the clock at 3:03.24 to finish 2.89 seconds behind Japan.

Poland took bronze, coming 2.64 after Canada.

"It was my first pursuit with the girls," said the 25-year-old Lamarche, a gold medallist in the Four Continents Championships in Quebec City in 2022.

"We still had expectations, but at the same time, anything can happen. I think we executed the start really well... We're all proud, it gives me confidence for the rest [of the season] and I'm really happy. It was a great experience."

Maltais and Blondin were part of Canada's team pursuit squad that won gold in Beijing 2022.

The World Cup continues Sunday with the men's 5,000, a second men's 500, women's 1,000 and women's mass start race.

WATCH l Canadian women's team pursuit squad races to silver:

Canadians Maltais, Lamarche and Blondin skate to World Cup team pursuit silver

12 months ago

Duration 7:33

Canadians Valérie Maltais, Béatrice Lamarche and Ivanie Blondin won a silver medal in the women's team pursuit race at the ISU World Cup speed skating stop in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland.

Other Canadian results

• Carolina Hiller (Prince George, B.C.) - 17th in 2nd 500m women's division A
• Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu (Montreal) - 19th in 1500m men's division A
• Connor Howe (Canmore, Alta.) - 9th in 1500m men's division A
• Vincent De Haître (Ottawa) - 2nd in men's division B
• Maddison Pearman (Ponoka, Alta) - 16th in 500m women's division B
• Brooklyn McDougall (Calgary) - 7th in 500m women's division B
• Laura Hall (Salmon Arm, B.C.) - 17th in 1500m women's division B