Canada's Kim Boutin reacts after winning the bronze medal in women's 500-metre short-track speedskating, in Beijing, on Feb. 7.Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press
Canadian short-track speed skater Kim Boutin’s bronze medal in the women’s 500 metres at the Beijing Olympics on Monday was her second straight in the event – but this one will be far easier to savour.
Boutin, the world record holder in the event, finished third in a time of 42.724 seconds, behind Italian great Arianna Fontana, who won gold in a time of 42.488 owing to a late push past Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands, who claimed silver in 42.559.
Boutin received death threats at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after she was promoted to the podium in the 500 after a penalty by South Korea’s Choi Min-jeong. The nightmare followed her for the rest of that Games, despite two more medals, and in the years to follow.
The 27-year-old from Sherbrooke said she needed to refocus on herself, take a break from the sport and consult a psychologist who specializes in trauma in order to rediscover her joy of skating.
Despite remaining stuck in third throughout the race on Monday, Boutin broke into a wide smile as she crossed the finish line.
“I’m happy to be happy,” Boutin said. “Quickly, we become not happy with these successes, but the process behind this medal is huge.
“For me, to have been in symbiosis with the ice, to have been here, present, is a victory.”
Boutin finished behind Fontana, 31, who defended the title she won four years ago and burnished her legacy as short track’s most decorated skater with her second Olympic medal in Beijing and 10th of her career.
“There were great athletes in front of me,” Boutin said. “It’s always exciting to skate against Arianna and Suzanne.”
Boutin found herself behind the two other skaters, unable to figure out whether to attempt a pass to the inside or outside.
“They both defended their positions in different ways,” Boutin said. “At one point, I made the decision to protect my third place.”
Boutin’s medal came after an otherwise disastrous evening for the Canadian short-track skating team.
Florence Brunelle was penalized in the first race of the evening for causing teammate Alyson Charles and China’s Fan Kexin to fall. Charles advanced to the semi-final, where she finished fourth. She then finished third in the B final and eighth overall.
Pascal Dion and Jordan Pierre-Gilles were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the men’s 1,000.
Dion fell as he tried to pass on the outside, while Pierre-Gilles was penalized after his pass of Chinese favourite Wu Dajing was deemed too aggressive by the judges.
Brunelle appeared inconsolable after receiving her second penalty of the Games. The 18-year-old was also responsible for the penalty that bumped Canada down the standings in the mixed relay two days earlier.
“That’s sport,” she said, her eyes red from crying. “Through making mistakes, I’ll learn. I’ll arrive more ready for other competitions having lived what I’m going through.”
It was a chaotic evening for speed skating, with several races marred by falls and disqualifications, Pierre-Gilles said.
“Everyone is all-in during each race,” he said “It ends up in the hands of the referees, who don’t have an easy role to play.”
The men’s 1,000-metre final ended in controversy after Hungary’s Shaolin Sandor Liu received two penalties after crossing the finish line in first. China’s Ren Ziwei was declared the winner ahead of teammate Li Wenlong and Hungary’s Shaoang Liu.
Boutin’s medal means she is now tied with Tania Vicent as Canada’s most decorated female short-track speed skater. She expressed hope that her medal would help Canada’s skaters turn the page after a difficult beginning to the Olympics.
“I think that now, we put all this behind us and we’re ready to collect other medals,” she said.
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