Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Follow Winter Olympic SportsPersonalize Your Feed
addShort Track Speed Skating
Moncton’s Courtney Sarault nabbed a bronze medal in the women’s 500-metre short track speed skating finals on Thursday as her family watched from the stands.
The 25-year-old was hanging on in fourth place until the final moments of the race when she passed her Dutch opponent Selma Poutsma on the outside — a type of pass that requires significant speed and energy.
“I knew she wasn’t going to quit and … the last lap, I guess I was like, she’s going for it, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Sarault’s mom, Rhonda Sarault, recalled.
“I was really, really happy for her that she was able to complete that pass right at the end.”
Courtney Sarault’s mom, Rhonda, and brother, Chris, watched as the Moncton short-track skater claimed bronze in the women’s 500-metre race.
(CBC)
Rhonda watched the race in-person at the Milano Ice Skating Arena with Sarault’s brother, Chris.
“It was totally incredible,” Rhonda said.
She said the family is proud of Sarault and grateful to everyone that helped her along her journey to becoming an Olympic medalist.
WATCH | ‘Maybe one day I’ll be up there’:
Fredericton crowd cheers as New Brunswick’s Courtney Sarault nabs bronze medal
About 50 people gathered to cheer on Moncton’s Courtney Sarault in the women’s 500-metre short-track speed skating event on Thursday, with a number of future Olympic hopefuls in the crowd.
Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands took gold in the race — shortly after setting a world record in the semi-finals — and Italy’s Arianna Fontana took silver, making it the 13th medal of her Olympic career.
The bronze medal is the second podium appearance for Sarault during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. She earned a silver medal earlier in the week for the mixed team 2,000-metre relay event.
Sarault was overcome with emotion after claiming her first individual Olympic medal. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Sarault’s bronze on Thursday also makes her the first Canadian outside of Quebec to win an individual Olympic short track medal for Canada.
While she participated in the Beijing 2022 Games, she didn’t medal, which Rhonda said was tough for her.
“She just doesn’t quit … it’s unbelievable her resilience,” Rhonda said.
Big support at home
People around the province have been watching New Brunswick’s Olympians closely.
Sarault and Fredericton’s Rikki Doak are both on the short-track speed skating team for Canada at the Games.
Thursday’s bronze medal win makes Sarault the first Canadian outside of Quebec to win an individual Olympic short-track medal. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
People gathered at Willie O’Ree Place in Fredericton to watch Sarault’s bronze medal effort, including Derrick MacLeod.
MacLeod is a coach for Speed Skate New Brunswick and has been on the ice with Sarault before.
Though Sarault has admitted that the 500-metre race isn’t her strongest distance, MacLeod said she was still a contender going into the race.
“She’s improved her speed, she’s improved her start dramatically over the course of the year,” said MacLeod.
He said many people don’t realize how much talent there is in New Brunswick’s short-track community.
Sarault’s fans watched from the Willie O’Ree Place in Fredericton on Thursday as the short-track speed skater claimed Olympic bronze. (Silas Brown/CBC)
Fifteen-year-old speed skater Liam Tao thinks it’s pretty cool and inspiring to know an Olympic medalist. Tao said Sarault is a powerhouse on the ice.
“It is pretty motivating to see, you know, just someone who grew up in New Brunswick to have a bronze medal in the Olympics is huge,” Tao said.
Isaac Gallagher trained alongside Sarault in Fredericton in the past and watching her over the years made her Olympic medal come as no surprise to him.
“She always had an incredible work ethic and just a drive to do more and want more for herself,” said Gallagher, who is a coach with the Fredericton Speed Skating Club.
He said Fredericton skaters have been very excited watching Sarault, knowing she was once on the same ice as them.
