Short track star Will Dandjinou to compete in Canadian long track championships for 'change of scenery'

Canadian short track speed skater Will Dandjinou is doing the next Olympics his own way, hoping for a different result on the biggest stage at the next Games.

For him that includes being bold, brave and embracing uncertainty. It now also means he’s switching out his short track skates for long track. At least for a weekend.  

Just a couple of weeks after the back-to-back Crystal Globe champion said he would be skipping the first two World Tour stops of the season — both on home ice in Vancouver and Montreal —Dandjinou told CBC Sports he will compete at the Canadian long track championships Oct. 15-18 in Quebec City.

“It's a surprise. I haven't talked about it to anyone yet," he said. "But it's going to be very cool for me. And that's just part of trying new things. And also I feel like there's a really, really good parallel between long track and short track.

“I still want to do short track. I'm not saying this is a career switch. Maybe eventually, but I think I still have a lot to prove to myself in short track."

Dandjinou said he’s planning to compete in the 1,500-metre event at long track nationals and is also considering the mass start. He’ll make his short track World Tour debut on the third stop in Seoul. 

Short track world champion Will Dandjinou reveals plan to compete in long track this season

After being dominant on the World Tour and at the world championships the last two seasons leading into the Olympics, many, including Dandjinou, thought wining as many as five medals at the Games was as possibility. Instead, the 25-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., left with a only silver medal from the mixed relay. 

So now he’s charting a different path to the next Olympics with the hopes of a different outcome, one that