Laurent Dubreuil delivers golden performance on home ice in Quebec
BySportsbeat
Updated 03/12/2022 at 14:27 GMT
Dubreuil began with gold in the individual 500m title, stopping the clock in a rapid 34.46s to beat Japan's Yuma Murakami and Korea's Jim-Su Kim. "I wouldn't trade it for a World Cup gold medal, because of the circumstances, skating on home ice and all," he said.
Gilles and Poirier win gold at ISU Figure Skating Espoo Grand Prix
Laurent Dubreuil says he will cherish his double-gold medal performance for the rest of his life after starring in front of family and friends on day one of the ISU Four Continents Championships.
The world champion and Olympic silver medallist lives in Quebec and was cheered on by his wife, daughter, parents, grandparents and siblings on home ice.
Dubreuil began with gold in the individual 500m title, stopping the clock in a rapid 34.46s to beat Japan's Yuma Murakami and Korea's Jim-Su Kim.
He later returned to take gold in the team pursuit alongside teammates David La Rue and Christopher Fiola.
"I wouldn't trade it for a World Cup gold medal, because of the circumstances, skating on home ice and all," he said.
"I'd rank it [a Four Continents title] the same as a World Cup probably, obviously less than World Championship and Olympics, but because it's here, because it's the first time here, I really wanted to perform.
"I had never skated in front of my brother and sister. My wife had come to see me skate in Europe a couple of times and my daughter as well, but it's much nicer here. My parents and grandparents were here as well. It's going to be a day I'll remember for a very long time."
Elsewhere, Kazakhstan's Vitaliy Chshigolev took the 5000m title, clocking 6:22.81 in the final to beat Korea's Lee Seung-Hoon. Canada's Jordan Belchos completed the podium.
Belchos said: "I thought I was going to retire at the end of the year. My fiancee [Valerie Maltais] and I decided to move to Quebec and start the next part of our lives.
"I was going to be finishing my degree to start a career outside speed skating, but I kept training with the group and I thought maybe I'll just try to help the younger guys along. But then… I love biking here, I love skating here, and I love the group, so I just kind of kept going."
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