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The upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in northern Italy are just around the corner, with one of the major events leading up to the Games happening this weekend in Canada. The short track speed skating World Tour kicks off at Montreal’s Maurice Richard Arena.
The World Tour, previously known as the World Cup, is a global series of competitions for elite short track skaters. Typically, there are six stops on the tour, but this season, it has been condensed to four to accommodate the Olympics. Montreal will host the first two legs, followed by Poland and the Netherlands. The world championships are also scheduled to take place in Montreal shortly after the Olympics.
The initial two days of each World Tour event focus on qualifying for the medal rounds, which will take place over the weekend. Athletes compete in three individual distances (500m, 1,000m, 1,500m) and three relay races. Points are accumulated throughout the season, with the top skater in each distance and the overall champion receiving the Crystal Globe trophy. There is also a team Crystal Globe awarded to the country with the most points.
CBC Sports analyst Michael Gilday discusses Team Canada’s objectives for the season and highlights key athletes to watch.
Given that it is an Olympic year, this season’s World Tour will determine the number of entries each country receives for the Games and the athletes who will fill those spots.
At the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, Canadian short track skaters secured four medals, putting them behind South Korea and on par with China, the Netherlands, and Italy. Steven Dubois contributed three of those medals, clinching silver in the men’s 1,500m, bronze in the 500m, and a gold in the men’s relay alongside veteran Charles Hamelin. Kim Boutin also claimed bronze in the 500m event.
Predictions suggest that Canada’s short track team could surpass the four-medal mark in Milan this February, potentially breaking the national record of six medals set during the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. The current dominance of Canadian short track skaters worldwide supports this expectation.
Canadian athletes secured 37 World Tour medals last season
Last season’s World Tour showcased Canada’s prowess as its athletes won a total of 37 medals, including 21 golds, across the six tour stops. This performance led to Canada, known as the Ice Maples, claiming the team Crystal Globe ahead of the Dutch Lions and Italy’s Gladiators.
During the world championships in Beijing, Canadian athletes excelled by winning six out of the nine events, including a clean sweep of the men’s gold medals, securing a total of 10 medals. Steven Dubois stood out with four gold medals, dominating the individual men’s 500m and 1,000m races and contributing to the relay victories. Will Dandjinou also had