Canada's short track men fail to repeat as Olympic relay champs, Netherlands first-time winners

Canada's men's short track relay team, which arrived at the Milano-Cortina Olympics to defend its 5,000-metre title, finished last of four teams on Friday. The Netherlands won gold for the first time in the event at the Games in six minutes 51.847 seconds.

Steven Dubois, Will Dandjinou, Félix Roussel and Maxime Laoun lost its hold on bronze position over the final three laps and posted a time of 6:52.425.

South Korea and Italy picked up silver and bronze in 6:52.239 and 6:52.335 at Milano Ice Skating Arena.

Dubois, who beat Melle van 't Wout of the Netherlands for 500m gold on Wednesday, was bidding for his sixth career Olympic medal that would have matched Charles Hamelin, Kim Boutin and long tracker Cindy Klassen for the Canadian record.

Olympic rookie Dandjinou was aiming to end his Games on a high note after the back-to-back World Tour overall champion missed the medal podium in three individual races. He was part of Canada's silver performance in mixed team relay.

In the women's 1,500, all three Canadians were eliminated from medal contention in the semifinals.

Courtney Sarault of Moncton, N.B., was second to Dutch skater Xandra Velzeboer in the B final while Danaé Blais of Châteauguay, Que., placed seventh.

Kim Boutin of Sherbrooke, Que., in what is likely the final event of the 31-year-old's career, didn't qualify for the B final after finishing her semifinal in 2:33.734.