The upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in northern Italy are approaching in less than four months. A major event leading up to the Games kicks off in Canada this weekend with the start of the short track speed skating World Tour at Montreal’s Maurice Richard Arena.
The World Tour, previously known as the World Cup, is a global series of competitions for elite short track skaters. This season, the tour has been condensed to four stops to accommodate the Olympics, with Montreal hosting the initial two events followed by Poland and the Netherlands. The world championships are also scheduled to take place in Montreal shortly after the Olympics in March.
Each World Tour meet begins with two days of qualifiers for the medal rounds, slated for Saturday and Sunday. The competition includes three individual distances for both men and women (500m, 1,000m, 1,500m) and three relay races (men’s 5,000m, women’s 3,000m, mixed 2,000m). Skaters earn points throughout the season, with the top skaters in each distance and the overall champion receiving a Crystal Globe trophy. Additionally, a team Crystal Globe is awarded to the country with the most points.
This year’s World Tour holds particular significance as it will determine each country’s allotment of entries for the Olympics and the skaters who will fill those spots.
In the previous 2022 Olympics in Beijing, Canadian short track skaters secured four medals, trailing behind South Korea but tying with China, the Netherlands, and Italy. Notably, Steven Dubois clinched three medals, including silver in the men’s 1,500m and bronze in the 500m, while contributing to the men’s relay team’s gold alongside veteran Charles Hamelin. On the women’s side, Kim Boutin earned a bronze in the 500m, marking her fourth Olympic medal.
With Canada currently excelling in short track speed skating, the prospects look promising for the upcoming Olympics in Milan. The nation’s short track skaters might even surpass their record of six medals from the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
The dominance of Canadian skaters was evident in the previous season’s World Tour, where they secured a total of 37 medals, including 21 golds, across the six stops. This performance led to Canada, known as the Ice Maples, claiming the team Crystal Globe over the Dutch Lions and Italy’s Gladiators.
At the world championships in Beijing, Canadians continued their success by winning six out of nine events, with a complete sweep of the men’s gold medals. Steven Dubois and Will Dandjinou were standout performers, each collecting multiple golds and contributing to team victories in relays.
Dandjinou, hailed as one of the best short track skaters of the previous season, showcased his prowess with eight individual race wins on the World Tour. Standing tall at six-foot-three, the Quebec native combined power, athleticism, and tactical skill to secure his first overall Crystal Globe and dominate the 1,000m and 1,500m events. Dandjinou is poised to shine in the upcoming Winter Olympics after narrowly missing out on the 2022 Games.
The Canadian team’s impressive performance last season and the individual achievements of skaters like Dandjinou set a promising stage for their prospects in the upcoming short track speed skating events.