Courtney Sarault, of Canada, competes during the women's 1500 quarterfinals at a World Cup short track speedskating event at the Utah Olympic Oval, in Kearns, Utah, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. Sarault picked up where she left off, racing to a second short-track speedskating World Cup victory in as many weeks. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Rick Bowmer
ALMATY, Kazakhstan – Canada’s Courtney Sarault picked up where she left off, racing to a second short-track speedskating World Cup victory in as many weeks.
The Moncton skater won the 1,000 metres on Saturday, edging Hanne Desmet of Belgium and Korea’s Shim Suk Hee.
Sarault, the overall silver medallist in the 2021 world championships, stuck to the middle of the pack for much of the race, before making a move to the front with one lap remaining. She never relinquished her lead.
“Going into the race I gave myself a plan,” Sarault said on the ISU website. “I think I was more nervous because I had this plan and I wanted to make sure I executed it properly.”
Sarault said she normally prefers to take the lead early, but she waited until the last moment to pass because she was feeling fatigued.
“I knew that If I wanted a medal I could go and do what I always do but if I wanted gold I had do it this way,” she said. “I was really excited that it worked and that I made the pass on the straight. It’s crazy to win another gold. I’m really happy.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2022.
