Quebec's Dubreuil secures national title in men's 500m long track speed skating

Laurent Dubreuil blazed his way to being national champion in the men's 500-metre long track speed skating race on Thursday.

"Today's race was exceptional," Dubreuil said. "I had a hard time believing my time when I crossed the finish line. It was quite possibly the best race of my career, but I think I have what it takes to do even better. I have the legs to put forth some great performances this season and I'm excited to see what is next."

Dubreuil, 30, won silver in the 1000-metre at the Beijing Olympics in February, days after missing the podium in the 500 by 0.03 seconds.

He became Canada's first world champion in the 500 since 2008 when he won gold in 2021.

Un départ canon pour <a href="https://twitter.com/Dubreuil92?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dubreuil92</a>. Champion canadien sur 500m à Québec!