Canada's Steven Dubois reacts after winning silver in the men’s 1,500-metre short-track speed skating event on Feb. 9, 2022.TOBY MELVILLE/Reuters
Charles Hamelin did not win a medal in his final individual Olympic race, but one of his teammates did, and in a most unlikely way.
Steven Dubois advanced into the final of the 1,500-metre speed skating race in Beijing on Wednesday, thanks to a penalty in the semi-final. Then the Olympic rookie made the most of his opportunity in an event that isn’t even his specialty, earning a silver medal in an unusual medal race.
Ten skaters qualified for the final – it’s rare to have such a large field, but more skaters advanced because referees assessed some penalties during the semis. Mr. Dubois was among those granted a spot in the final after he got bumped into the wall in the semis while in a position to advance.
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That made for a crowded final, with the competitors starting in two rows. It would seem nearly impossible to get into medal position for a skater who wound up toward the back of the big pack. But that’s precisely what the 24-year-old from Terrebonne, Que., did.
“When there’s 10 people in a race, you can’t really be in the back. … No one wants to be in the back. So everyone will go fast to the front and then it will be super fast,” said Mr. Dubois, still stunned as he faced a throng of media in the belly of Capital Indoor Stadium.
And it was a fast and thrilling race. Mr. Dubois came from the back, held strong and eventually edged his toe over the line in second place. He inched into silver medal position between winner Hwang Dae-heon of South Korea and the bronze medalist from Russia, Semen Elistratov.
Mr. Dubois thought back to 2018, when he was an alternate for Canada’s Olympic team. He did not travel to the Pyeongchang Games with the team, but he watched on television at home in the middle of the night. He cried as they won medals.
“It felt like I was helping them train the whole year,” said Mr. Dubois of that 2018 team. “I think it helped me motivate myself to get where I am right now.”
Mr. Dubois stunned himself and many from his team because his best race is typically the 500 metres, not the 1,500. But he has had some solid results in that distance during the past few years.
“I knew if I was smart with the way I race and use my legs and don’t make bad choices, I could be there,” Mr. Dubois said.
Canada's Charles Hamelin skates away after the men's 1,500-metre short-track speed skating semi-final.Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press
It was an event that made Mr. Hamelin the Olympic champion in 2014 in Sochi. Mr. Hamelin has been a Canadian fixture at the Winter Olympics since 2006 and was looking for a strong finish in the 1,500 metres, his only individual event at his fifth and final Olympics. Mr. Hamelin won his quarter-final on Wednesday, but he was ousted from the semis after being penalized, and did not make the final.
“I talked with my daughter and my wife just after the race on the screen,” Mr. Hamelin said. “You have this moment to remind me why I’m here. They were behind me. I’m skating for them.”
His Olympics is not over, though. Mr. Hamelin has another shot at a medal with Canada’s 5,000-metre relay team.
“Just to be here is a blast and it’s not done. We still have the relay. We are on fire. I think the boys are ready for big things here,” Mr. Hamelin said. “I’m going back to the room to make sure nobody’s crying for me.”
He remains tied with fellow short-track speed skaters Marc Gagnon and François-Louis Tremblay and figure skater Scott Moir as Canada’s most decorated male Winter Olympians.
The 37-year-old veteran skater leads a Canadian short-track team in Beijing with 10 athletes, seven of them making Olympic debuts.
Mr. Hamelin was chosen as Canada’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony in Beijing, alongside hockey star Marie-Philip Poulin.
He can still add to his Olympic medal collection that already consists of three gold medals, one silver and one bronze.
Mr. Dubois’s medal was the eighth for Canada to date at the Beijing Olympics. More could come for Canada’s short-track team.
Earlier Wednesday, Canada’s relay team of Kim Boutin, Courtney Sarault, Florence Brunelle and Alyson Charles won the second semi-final to book one of four spots in the final on Sunday.
Ms. Boutin nearly won her 1,000-metre heat but she fell on the final turn while in the lead, and is done in that event. The 27-year-old native of Sherbrooke already won bronze in the 500 metres on Monday, giving her four career Olympic medals.
Ms. Sarault and Ms. Charles advanced out of the 1,000-metre heats.
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