Canadian short track stars look forward to 'good battle' against Korea in Milan
Published: 04 Feb. 2026, 14:39
![Canadian short track speed skater William Dandjinou speaks to reporters after a training session for the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 4. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/04/ed1ead2a-1a66-42e0-86b2-c96fa92aeced.jpg)
Canadian short track speed skater William Dandjinou speaks to reporters after a training session for the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 4. [YONHAP]
Canadian short track speed skaters William Dandjinou and Courtney Sarault arrived in Milan as major medal threats at the Winter Olympics this month, fresh off a run of dominant performances in the 2025-2026 ISU Short Track World Tour season.
Still, they remain wary of Korea, No. 1 in the all-time Olympic short track rankings with 26 gold medals, and are bracing themselves for some tough competition ahead following the two countries' joint training session here on Tuesday.
“Obviously, Team Korea is a great team with great skaters and a lot of history, technically impeccable,” Dandjinou told Yonhap News Agency after a 50-minute practice at Milano Ice Skating Arena. “So it's really inspiring to be able to skate with them. It's good to be able to see the rivals before the competition but honestly, there's nothing I wasn't expecting. They look very strong, very confident also, and the competition is going to be a good one.”
Dandjinou captured his second straight Crystal Globe this season as the overall World Tour champion, thanks to his seven individual titles.
Sarault won the women's Crystal Globe, her first such honor, after claiming five individual World Tour gold medals.
![Canadian short track speed skater William Dandjinou trains for the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 3. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/04/e1cd22d7-5b85-4614-a431-d88917efea93.jpg)
Canadian short track speed skater William Dandjinou trains for the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 3. [YONHAP]
Three of Sarault's wins came at the expense of a Korean rival. The Canadian held off Kim Gil-li, the 2023-2024 Crystal Globe recipient, for the 1,000-meter and the 1,500-meter titles at the season's first World Tour stop in Montreal in October last year. Later that same month, Sarault beat Choi for the 1,000-meter victory.
They continued to jockey for the podium in Poland the following month, as Kim and Choi enjoyed a 1-2 finish in the 1,500-meter last November, with Sarault settling for third place. Then at the final World Tour event of the season in the Netherlands later that same November, Kim and Choi took home the gold and the bronze in the 1,500-meter, as Sarault grabbed the silver.
For all their back-and-forth battles, Sarault still sees her Korean foes as “just lovely people in general, amazing competitors.”
![Short track speed skaters from Korea, in red and blue helmets, and Canada, in white helmets, train together for the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 3. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/04/04706276-f5c6-45cf-956c-0db6f60faf24.jpg)
Short track speed skaters from Korea, in red and blue helmets, and Canada, in white helmets, train together for the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 3. [YONHAP]
“They're really, really respectful skaters and really great athletes, both super strong and they've been doing great things in this sport for a long time,” Sarault said. “I think we have a lot of respect for each other and I love a challenge. I love fighting on the ice and they always give me a good battle. And it's really, really fun to compete against them and they bring it every time and I do, too. I think it's going to be a good battle for sure.”
Dandjinou said Canada's goal is to take home seven medals from Milan and he won't let anything stand in the way.
“It won't change. Even if today was bad training, it would still be the same objective,” he said. “We have a clear objective in mind and that's what we're aiming for.”
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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