Gelinas-Beaulieu claims 1500m speed skating gold three months after being knocked off bike

Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu said his first career international title in the men’s 1500m at the ISU Four Continents Championships capped a fitting redemption tale just three months after being knocked off his bike.

Canadian speed skater Gelinas-Beaulieu set a new track record on home ice in Quebec City with a winning time of 1:44.66 after maintaining his pace well, having been one of just two skaters alongside compatriot Jake Weidemann to set a 300m split under 24 seconds.

Defending champion Dmitriy Morozov of Kazakhstan had to settle for silver after finishing in 1:46.30, while Weidemann completed the podium after clocking 1:47.40.

Gelinas-Beaulieu said: “I had a concussion in September. I got hit by a car when I was biking.

“Therefore, I was a little bit safer than the beginning of the season, but I just take it a little bit slowly every race, because you never know how a concussion can affect your mind and your body.

“But today I told myself to go all out in the beginning. It hurts, but that’s where the potential is, to race it that way.”

Kazakhstan claimed a one-two in the women’s 1500m, with Nadezhda Morozova edging out Yekaterina Aydova for gold, while home favourite Alison Desmarais claimed bronze.

A new personal best of 1:59.381 for China’s Binyu Yang was only enough to claim fourth, as she finished 3.01 seconds off the pace.

South Korea dominated the men’s mass start with Chung Jae-Won taking gold and compatriot Lee Seung-Hoon settling for silver, with China’s Hanyang Shen winning bronze.

In the women’s race, Canadian Valerie Maltais took the spoils ahead of Yang and South Korea’s Ji-Woo Park.