August 19, 2017 - 6:15 PM
MONTREAL - Samuel Girard and Kim Boutin will compete at the 2018 Olympics Games in Pyeongchang after qualifying for the provisional Canadian short-track team on Saturday.
Girard, from Ferland-et-Boilleau, Que., clinched the first spot in the men's standings by winning his second-straight 1,000-metre race. Girard has also won each of the first two 500 events and the 1,500.
Boutin of Sherbrooke, Que., clinched first in the women's standings by winning the 1,000 and followed that up with a victory in the 1,500.
It's the first time that both Girard and Boutin will compete at an Olympics.
Veteran Charles Hamelin is second in the overall men's standings with 34,000 points, ahead of Charle Cournoyer, who has 28,800 points. Hamelin was second in the 1,500 but didn't reach the final of the 1,000 after being penalized.
Jamie Macdonald is second in the women's standings with 30,400 points while Kasandra Bradette is third with 27,200.
The top three skaters in both genders, which will be decided on Sunday, will qualify for the Winter Games.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017