Weekend Roundup: Short track star Charles Hamelin wins 13th career world title
A Team Canada legend adds to his legacy, a couple of rising stars celebrate career breakthroughs, and six medals were won at an Olympic warm up event.
Those are the headlines, let’s check out of the details of an incredibly successful weekend for Canadian athletes around the world:
Hamelin and Sarault skate onto world podium
Canada’s short track speed skating team had not competed in over a year, but there wasn’t too much rust showing at the ISU World Championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands. Charles Hamelin — in his 17th appearance at the worlds — won his third career world title in the 1500m. At 36, he is one of the oldest competitors on the circuit but he came through a packed final of eight skaters to win the 37th world championship medal of his career.
READ: Hamelin secures 1500m title at short track worlds
“I’m really happy with my result. I kind of forget what it was like to win medals and celebrate, so this was really special for me. I worked really hard over the past year in training, so it feels really nice to see my hard work pay off.” – Courtney Sarault pic.twitter.com/lqZfYMNTGw
— Speed Skating Canada | Patinage de Vitesse Canada (@SSC_PVC) March 6, 2021
Courtney Sarault wrapped up the weekend ranked second in the overall classification, making her the vice world champion. The 20-year-old claimed her first world championship medal on Saturday when she stretched for the silver in the 1500m. She added a 1000m bronze on Saturday and then another silver in the 3000m superfinal to get onto the overall podium.
READ: Courtney Sarault is the short track vice world champion
Wiebe, Dhesi and Fazzari win wrestling gold
It was an action-packed weekend on the mats at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series in Rome, Italy. After winning bronze last weekend in Ukraine, Erica Wiebe captured the 76kg gold medal. Also on Friday, Michelle Fazzari added a gold medal in the 62kg weight class.
READ: Wiebe and Fazzari win gold at Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series in Italy
READ: Day 2: Dhesi, Weicker and Stewart reach the Matteo Pellicone podium
On Saturday, Amir Dhesi won another gold medal for Team Canada in the 125kg weight class. Rounding out the weekend Diana Weicker added a silver medal and Samantha Stewart took home bronze in the 53kg category. Olivia Di Bacco won bronze in the 68kg event.
Grondin celebrates first career World Cup victory
Eliot Grondin earned his first-ever World Cup gold medal (and third career podium) in Bakuriani, Georgia. He now sits second in the World Cup snowboardcross standings with one event remaining this season.
READ: Snowboard Cross: Eliot Grondin wins first career World Cup gold
What an absolutely epic battle for the podium spots today in 🇬🇪🤯
In the end Eliot Grondin 🇨🇦
wins the fight for 🥇, Lulas Pachner🇦🇹 claims 🥈 and Lorenzo Sommariva🇮🇹🥉
What a show, gentlemen💪👏#fissnowboard #sbx #bigfinalofmen pic.twitter.com/a1ipNwTSYd— fissnowboard (@fissnowboard) March 4, 2021
Memorable moments on the green
Corey Conners led the field into the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, ending up as a top-three finisher when the tournament finished on Sunday, three strokes back of the lead. That boosted him up 16 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking to 44th overall, just the sixth Canadian ever ranked in the top 50.
BOOM! Conners makes his third eagle of the week on the 16th and he’s 1 back 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/3eVJUdlGvh
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 7, 2021
