Montreal's Maxime Laoun captures silver in 500m at Short Track World Tour opener in Vancouver

Laune out of position one, jumps to the lead and a great start by Steven Dubois getting up into third. Van het Wout sandwiched in the middle, Furkan Akar knowing the time to move is soon. Dubois into second behind Laune. Great move from Dubois, taking advantage early in this 500 meter. Jens Van het Wout stalking the line from third, looking up to second. Here comes Jens Van het Wout stalking his prey. He's gotten up into second. He's got Laune, the making of Laune. It is Jens Van Aert vouched for the lead. He hangs on to the corner. A new year begins, but it's a familiar face starting on top of the podium. Jens Van Aert, while finding himself back in third position, picking his way through back the field to capture the first gold of the World Tour. One win on World Tour last season. It's taken him one race to match that. Gold in Vancouver, 500 meters. Jens Van Aert, it's Maxime Laune up for second, his first individual medal at the senior level since 2022 when he won gold in a 500 meter in Salt Lake City. And it's bronze for Li Zhengmin, his first individual medal at the senior level since Montreal World Cup in 2023. So a familiar face stands alone atop the podium and two guys who are getting their first experiences in a number of years DuBois did go down there we did not get a look at that but Jens van het Vout patiently calmly building back into it Maxime Laun has looked so good all day and was that close to getting a victory but van het Vout gets through and there's DuBois going out on the last corner we'll see what the review is I don't I don't think there was any contact. He might have gone down on his own. That bout is the first battle towards the Crystal Globe this year. Lots more to come. There actually was a review, and there was a change. I'll ask over. Final decision. Penalty for Armblock, number 32, Republic of Korea. And so it is a penalty to Lee Jong-min, which bumps Furkan Akar up into the bronze medal position. here's a look at it right there there's the arm hanging out just enough when you're on that corner and there's G-forces and all that at work just the slightest of touch throws off the knee Dubois went down and Furkan Akar it's back-to-back races with the bronze medal last year it was a bronze at world championships still in Canada first world tour another bronze medal here so A lot of happy faces there in that Turkish program, but silver to Maxime Laune, gold Jens Van den Fout. There are the results, gold Van den Fout, silver Laune, Akar.