Canada’s short track speed skating team added a bronze medal to its growing tally at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina on Wednesday, February 18th. The Canadian quartet of Danaé Blais, Kim Boutin, Florence Brunelle, and Courtney Sarault finished third in the 3000-meter relay for women.
The Canadian team maintained a leading position for much of the final, ultimately falling behind South Korea, which secured the gold medal, and Italy, which took silver. This marks a significant improvement for the Canadian team, who finished fourth in the same event at the 2022 Beijing Games.
For Courtney Sarault, the bronze medal represents her fourth of the Milan-Cortina Games, making her the first Canadian short track speed skater to win four medals at a single Olympic Winter Games. Kim Boutin also secured her second medal of these Games with the bronze, bringing her career Olympic medal count to six. This ties Boutin with Charles Hamelin and Cindy Klassen for the most Olympic medals won by a Canadian Winter Olympian, according to Olympics.com.
The race wasn’t without its challenges for the Canadian team. A mid-race collision between Florence Brunelle and a Dutch skater threatened to derail their chances, but Brunelle managed to stay upright and continue the race.
Earlier in the day, Steven Dubois won gold in the men’s 500-meter short track speed skating event, adding to Canada’s medal haul. As of Wednesday afternoon, Canada has four gold, four silver, and six bronze medals, placing them 11th in the overall medal count. Norway currently leads the standings with 33 total medals, including 15 gold.
The 2026 Winter Olympics, hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, began on February 6th and will continue through February 22nd, featuring approximately 116 events and nearly 2900 athletes. This is Milan’s first time hosting the Olympic Games, having previously bid unsuccessfully in 1908 and 2000. Cortina d’Ampezzo previously hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956 and also bid for the Games in 1988 and 1992.