Courtney Lee Sarault, born April 24, 2000 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has emerged as one of the most dynamic and accomplished athletes in modern short track speed skating. While born in the United States due to her father’s professional hockey career, she was raised and formed her sporting identity in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada – a region not historically synonymous with the elite levels of short-track skating that provinces like Quebec are known for.
Early Life and Path to Sport
Courtney Sarault grew up in a sporting environment. Her father, Yves Sarault, played professional hockey – including in the NHL – and that athletic culture deeply influenced Courtney’s early years. She began skating at just seven years old, quickly gravitating toward speed skating once she experienced the rush of competing in a pack on ice.
In recreational photos and local recollections, Sarault was once referred to affectionately as the “pink suit girl” – a nod to the vivid pink skating suit she had custom-made as a child. This detail, while lighthearted, captures something profound about her personality: an early clarity of self, confidence in her identity on the ice, and a fierce individuality that has stayed with her throughout her career.
Junior Career and Early Success
Sarault rose through the junior ranks with notable momentum. At the 2015 Canada Games, at just 14, she gained essential multi-distance racing experience, including a silver medal in the 3000m relay, signaling early promise on a national stage.
The 2017 World Junior Short Track Championships represented her first major international exposure. Though not yet a household name, she laid the groundwork for her breakout performance the following year. In 2018, she finished second overall at the World Juniors – capturing silver medals in both the 1000m and 1500m races and contributing to a gold for Canada in the 3000m relay. Not only did this cement her as one of the rising stars in Canadian speed skating; it also earned her recognition as Speed Skating Canada’s Rising Star of the Year.
In 2019 she continued her junior success with a bronze in the 1500m at the World Junior Championships – affirming her consistency across distances and her readiness for senior competition.
Transition to Senior Competition
Sarault made her World Cup debut in the 2018–19 season, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her career. That season, she earned her first World Cup podium in the 1500m at the Calgary stop – a breakthrough that underlined her ability to shift from promising junior to serious senior contender. Over the next few seasons, she accumulated several medals in individual World Cup races and relays, contributing significantly to Canada’s international presence.
At the 2019 World Short Track Championships, Sarault won a bronze with the 3000m relay team, showcasing her role as both an individual competitor and a dependable team racer.
Her first major senior individual success came in 2020, at the Four Continents Short Track Speed Skating Championships hosted in Montreal. There, she medaled in the 500m, 1000m, and finished strong in the overall classification.
Breakthrough and Resilience
The 2021 World Championships represent a pivotal milestone. There, Sarault claimed silver in the 1500m, bronze in the 1000m, and finished second overall — marking her first top-two placement in a world championship’s overall standings. She established herself as one of the few Canadian women able to match the world’s elite short track competitors.
Despite this success, Sarault’s career trajectory was not linear. She battled through overtraining and a concussion that sidelined her during the 2024 season, forcing a period of rest and recovery that tested her physically and mentally. According to her own reflections, she described the experience as one of her toughest moments — confronting fears about her future in the sport, dealing with physical setbacks, and finding her way back to confidence and form.
This period of struggle ultimately became a defining chapter in her career. Going through that low point helped her develop a deeper resilience — a quality that would prove critical in her standout 2025 and 2026 seasons.
The 2025–26 Season and World Tour Dominance
The 2025–26 ISU Short Track World Tour marked a career year for Sarault. She was named the overall Crystal Globe winner — the top woman skater across the season — after a campaign in which she amassed nine individual medals across four World Tour stops, including multiple golds and silvers. Her strong performances across several distances bolstered Canada’s standing on the circuit.
Earlier in 2025, she also demonstrated national supremacy by winning the Canadian Short Track Championships in Montreal, going an incredible nine-for-nine — sweeping every race she entered across the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m distances. This dominant national showing reaffirmed her status as Canada’s premier female short track athlete and set high expectations for the upcoming Winter Olympics.
In October 2025, Sarault continued her form on the World Tour by earning multiple titles at the Montreal stop — including gold in the 1000m and 1500m races — reinforcing her elite status and competitive consistency.
Milano-Cortina 2026: Olympic Triumphs and Historic Medals
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy were nothing short of historic for Sarault. She entered the Games not merely as a medal hopeful but as one of Canada’s strongest overall competitors in short track.
Mixed Relay Silver Medal
Early in the Olympic program, Sarault teamed with fellow Canadians Kim Boutin, William Dandjinou, and Félix Roussel in the mixed 2000m relay — a relatively new Olympic event. The team delivered a powerful performance, earning silver and contributing to Canada’s medal count while setting a high tone for the rest of her Olympic campaign.
Bronze in the Women’s 500m
In one of her standout individual performances, Sarault raced in the women’s 500m final, battling through multiple rounds and using her strategy and finishing power to secure bronze. This medal marked her first individual Olympic podium finish and a significant personal achievement, demonstrating her ability to excel not only in the longer tactical races but also in the raw speed demands of the sprint.
Silver in the Women’s 1000m — A Career Highlight
Perhaps the most celebrated moment of her Olympic campaign came in the women’s 1000m. Sarault raced with extraordinary poise and pace against a world-class field, leading for much of the nine-lap final before finishing silver behind the eventual winner in a fiercely competitive race. This silver was not only a testament to her skill and tactical intelligence but also her endurance and mental strength — racing at speeds exceeding 40 km/h while navigating one of the sport’s most unpredictable distances.
Three Olympic Medals — A Canadian Milestone
By the end of the Games, Sarault didn’t just earn one medal — she earned three: two silvers (mixed relay and 1000m) and one bronze (500m). This tally made her one of the most successful Canadian athletes at Milano-Cortina and, for many observers, a prime candidate to serve as Canada’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony.
Her accomplishments in short track have a deeper resonance in Canadian sport because she broke barriers for athletes from outside traditional powerhouses, showing that elite-level success can emerge from any corner of the country.
Technical Style and Racing Philosophy
Sarault’s skating style is characterized by her adaptability across distances. In sprint races like the 500m, she balances explosive starts with tactical patience, often positioning herself just behind the leaders before launching decisive moves in the final laps. Conversely, in longer races such as the 1000m and 1500m, she demonstrates cerebral racing – understanding pack dynamics, conserving energy while maintaining position, and timing her accelerations with precision.
This blend of speed, strategy, and adaptability is part of what makes her such an exciting racer to watch. Commentators and fans alike note her tenacity on the outside lanes, willingness to take calculated risks, and ability to respond swiftly when the race’s rhythm shifts – traits that make her a formidable opponent on any given day.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
Sarault’s impact extends beyond the ice. Her success has been celebrated not just by speed skating enthusiasts but by Canadians nationwide, especially in her home province of New Brunswick – a region not traditionally known for producing Olympic medalists in winter speed sports. Her achievements have sparked widespread pride and inspired discussions about the growth of elite sport in smaller provinces.
Moreover, her story – one that includes early ambition, adversity, injury, recovery, and ultimate triumph – resonates with aspiring athletes across Canada and beyond. As a skater who has persevered through setbacks and reached Olympic podiums, her journey illustrates that elite success is as much about resilience and mental strength as it is about raw physical talent.
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