4 years after considering a future outdoors his chosen sport, William Dandjinou simply may be the perfect short-track speedskater on the earth.
The 24-year-old Montrealer has each likelihood to be Canada’s greatest particular person sport star at this 12 months’s Winter Olympics, and maybe even enter the document books, too. It is fairly a change from 2022, when he questioned whether or not he even wished to proceed within the notoriously chaotic sport after narrowly lacking the reduce for Canada’s Olympic staff.
“You begin asking your self questions like, ‘Am I doing this for the correct causes, am I right here as a result of I like the game or am I simply right here as a result of I’ve at all times been form of good?’ … Simply quite a lot of questioning,” Dandjinou stated in a cellphone interview final month.
“I really feel that is tremendous vital in life and as an athlete. We’re not getting paid thousands and thousands. It’s a must to be tremendous into the game, but additionally settle for the results of being tremendous into the game. I wished to be all-in and I had to ensure I used to be able to be all-in and ready the place nothing was assured to me. It should have taken two months after that complete course of (to decide to proceed). It was identical to I am able to skate, it doesn’t matter what the end result (can be) — if I do make the Olympics or I do not.”
Now, not solely has Dandjinou made the Olympics, however he is poised to be an enormous pressure at Milano Cortina 2026.
The six-foot-three Dandjinou will compete within the 1,000-metre heats to open his Olympics on Tuesday earlier than becoming a member of Canadian teammates in a bid for a medal within the blended relay.
Dandjinou might compete in three particular person races and two relays on the Olympics. If he hits the rostrum in all 5, he’d tie long-track speedskater Cindy Klassen’s Canadian document (one gold, two silver, two bronze at Turin 2006) for many medals received in a single Olympics. Swimmers Summer time McIntosh (2024) and Penny Oleksiak (2016) received 4 apiece of their greatest years.
“I really feel like individuals need me to place a quantity on the market, however I actually do not know,” stated Dandjinou, who received 4 medals ultimately 12 months’s world championships and is a back-to-back Crystal Globe winner as World Tour chief.
“5 isn’t unrealistic, but it surely’s very formidable. However I am a really formidable man. I will do every little thing in my management to work on that.”
The larger quantity Dandjinou has in thoughts is seven. That is the Canadian staff aim for complete medals on the Olympics, which might surpass the nationwide document of six set in 2002.
Fellow Canadians Courtney Sarault, Kim Boutin and Steven Dubois are also sturdy medal contenders.
“I really feel like we might get 15 medals as a staff. I do not even know if that is mathematically doable,” Dandjinou stated with a chuckle.
Dandjinou is not shy about expressing his feelings.
He is recognized for his eagle celebration the place he flaps his arms like a chook after profitable races. However there could possibly be extra in retailer on the Olympics.
“I am unable to inform you every little thing. I really feel like step one is to attempt to win after which we’ll discuss celebrations,” he stated. “However I at all times have just a few methods up my sleeve. The eagle’s going to remain I really feel for my complete profession. I at all times have just a few different celebrations I pull out generally, however I really feel the eagle is my signature transfer.”
Dandjinou’s father, Alain Dandjinou, did not know a lot about winter sports activities when he immigrated from the Ivory Coast. However he rapidly found the eagerness for skating in Quebec, and wished his son to expertise it.
William was on speedskates as a younger baby after beginning in hockey.
“There are lot of issues to love (about skating). The query is what’s to not like,” he stated. “On a extra fundamental stage, simply skating is tremendous cool. I had an opportunity to go skate with my dad on hockey skates just a few weeks in the past. You simply bear in mind how enjoyable skating is, not essentially coaching.
“Whenever you go to a excessive stage, there’s the competitors side I like but additionally … the velocity we skate at is fairly spectacular. The sensation that provides us is wonderful. Speedskating is (the) quickest man-propelled sport. We’re not utilizing gravity, we’re not utilizing mechanism, we’re utilizing purely our legs and we’re going very quick however firmly in management.”
Alain Dandjinou, a microbiologist, will journey outdoors Canada to see his son compete for the primary time on the Olympics.
Having his dad there in individual could be very significant for William.
“He adopted me all through my complete profession, he is aware of me greater than quite a lot of my coaches do,” William stated. “I really feel like he is at all times been there. I bear in mind waking up tremendous early for competitions at 5 or 6 in morning as a result of we needed to take a bus to competitions all the way in which on the opposite aspect of Quebec.
“… He likes to additionally depart me my house, and would not need to take credit score. However I at all times inform him you have to take just a little credit score as a result of we did this collectively. He did not essentially need to come to the Video games as a result of he stated ‘I am in all probability not going to see you that a lot and I do not need to be a a disturbance for you. However I used to be like, ‘No dad, I actually need you to return.’ That touched him quite a bit and I am tremendous glad.”
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