Kim Boutin sets short track world record in women’s 500m in Utah

Canada’s Kim Boutin set a short track world record in the women’s 500-metre competition in the season-opening event in Salt Lake City on Sunday.

The 24-year-old native of Sherbrooke, Que., set a new mark of 41.936 seconds in the quarters, before going on to capture gold in the finals.

A three-time Olympic medallist, Boutin broke the previous world record of 42.335 which was also set in Salt Lake City by Great Britain’s Elise Christie in 2016.

Boutin continued her dominance into the finals, winning gold for the second-straight night with a cool time of 42.336.

“I’m the first woman to skate the 500 in under 42 seconds and that makes me incredibly happy,” said Boutin.

“After my start, I told myself things were going well, and then I heard the crowd cheering after the first lap and I said ‘this is happening, let’s go.”‘

Boutin adds bronze in relay

In the women’s 3000-metre relay Boutin, along with teammates Alyson Charles, Claudia Gagnon and Danae Blais won bronze with a time of four minutes, 09.009 seconds.

With three laps to go, the Canadians edged the Netherlands to secure their spot on the podium behind second place South Korea (4:08.979) and first place China (4:08.746).

Canadian men also grab relay bronze

Later in the evening, the Canadian men’s team also nabbed bronze. Led by five-time Olympic medallist Charles Hamelin the team of Maxime Laoun, Pascal Dion and Steven Dubois finished third in the 5000-metre relay with a time of six minutes, 43.883 seconds.

The Russians (6:43.662) took gold, just ahead of South Korea (6:43.743) who claimed silver.

CBC