SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — The Canadian men’s relay team won a silver medal Sunday while Charles Hamelin added a bronze in the men’s 500-metre race on the final day of a World Cup stop in Seoul.
The men’s team of Hamelin (Sainte-Julie, Que.), Patrick Duffy (Oakville, Ont.), Charle Cournoyer (Boucherville, Que.) and Samuel Girard (Ferland-et-Boilleau, Que.) finished in second place with a time of seven minutes 1.373 seconds to end up behind the Netherlands (7:01.210) and ahead of China (7:01.524).
"It was our best relay race in a long time," Hamelin said. "We executed our game plan perfectly. This will give us plenty of confidence heading into the rest of the season."
Hamelin added to his medal haul in the 500, finishing third in 41.583 seconds. South Korea’s Seo Yi Ru (41.436) won gold and Dutch skater Sjinkie Knegt (41.549) took silver.
Hamelin reached the podium in spite of a right-ankle bruise he sustained while racing in the semifinal.
"I was skating in front when I hit a block and lost my balance. When I brought back my left skate under me, I hit my right ankle," he said. "The bruise hurt a bit, so I had it checked by the doctor to make sure there wasn’t anything serious, and he gave me the green light."
In the women’s 1,500, World Cup rookie Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke, Que., finished fourth in 2:31.857. It was her best finish so far on the circuit.
"I felt relaxed in the semifinal, I was able to pick a lot of information and manage my race well, and then I was able to stay alert during the entire final," Boutin said. "I skated well, I made my moves at the right time."