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Steven Dubois reached the individual short-track medal podium at a second straight Olympics with gold in the men’s 500 metres on Wednesday in Italy.
It’s the first non-team victory of the 28-year-old’s Winter Games career after capturing 5,000 relay gold four years ago in Beijing, where he racked up three medals, including bronze in the 500.
In Milan, the native of Terrebonne, Que., had a rough time after helping Canada to silver in mixed relay on Feb. 10.
Last weekend, he fell with eight-and-a-half laps remaining in the men’s 1,500 and finished sixth. Dubois was eliminated from medal contention in the 1,000 on Feb. 10 after a collision with Great Britain’s Niall Treacy during their heat.
Dubois, the 2025 world champion in the 500, picked up a pair of bronze medals in the event on the World Tour this season following a partial tear in the labrum of his hip last summer after being hampered by a leg injury.
“It was a bit of a struggle for, maybe, six weeks leading up to the Canadian championship [last August],” Dubois told CBC Sports in November. By the time he arrived at that event, the unofficial start of the season, Dubois’s condition deteriorated to the point where he couldn’t race.
Steven Dubois of Terrebonne, Que., won the short track speed skating men’s 500-metre race, to claim the second gold medal of his career, and his second medal at Milano Cortina 2026.
In 2023, Dubois grabbed world 500m silver and won back-to-gold at the Four Continents championships in 2023 and 2024.
Meanwhile, Courtney Sarault earned her team-leading fourth medal at these Games, helping Canada to bronze in the women’s 3,000 relay about 30 minutes before Dubois’s victory.
The Moncton, N.B., native anchored the Canadians to a time of four minutes 4.33 seconds behind South Korea (4:04.2) and Italy (4:04.15).
At the 2022 Games, Dutch athlete Suzanne Schulting was the first female short track skater from any country to win four medals at a single Winter Olympics when she claimed two gold, silver, and bronze.
Viktor An of Russia also won four short track medals in a single Games twice.
On Wednesday, Danae Blais, Florence Brunelle, Kim Boutin and Sarault returned Canada to the podium in the 3,000 relay for the first time since 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
Bronze gives Boutin six career Olympic podiums, tying her with Charles Hamelin and Cindy Klassen for most career medals won by a Canadian athlete at the Winter Games.
The Netherlands were aiming for a fourth consecutive gold at these Games, but fell midway through the race and finished the four-team final last in 4:09.081.
Italy’s Arianna Fontana picked up a record-extending 14th Olympic medal. She won mixed relay gold and 500m silver earlier in Italy.
Courtney Sarault of Moncton, N.B., became the first Canadian short track speed skater to win four medals in a single Olympic Games, as she claimed bronze in the women’s 3,000-metre relay, along with teammates Danae Blais, Kim Boutin and Florence Brunelle.
