Kim Boutin wraps up 1,000m title at short track World Cup
Canadian joins teammate Marianne St-Gelais as discipline champs this season
Kim Boutin became the second Canadian to finish the World Cup short track series as an overall winner on Sunday in Seoul.
A contentious final corner of the ladies 1,000-metre final saw Boutin's rival Shim Suk Hee crash out after contact between the two skaters and Great Britain's Elise Christie.
Boutin earned a silver medal and secured the overall title while Christie earned a penalty that left her in tears.
South Korea's Choi Min Jeong won her sixth individual gold this season while Yara van Kerkhof of the Netherlands was third.
Boutin, who also earned silver in 1,500 on Saturday, was happy with her overall performance in the fourth and final World Cup event, feeling that she is right there with the best skaters.
Gearing up for Olympics
"It was an Olympic-caliber 1,000 final. The level was very high," pointed out Boutin. "And I think I showed that I can challenge [the best skaters] up until the finish line.
"I blocked Elise [Christie] until the end and I was in a position to overtake some skaters. It was good race, with a lot of situations from which I can learn from, and I think I can be proud of my weekend."
Boutin's title followed teammate Marianne St-Gelais's path, as she took the 500m crown on Saturday.
Boutin finishes the season with seven individual medals to go along with two medals in relay.
"It's a nice way to finish up before the Olympic Games," she said. "I was consistent throughout these four World Cup stages. Now, I need to maintain the same level of focus until the Games."
Girard 'satisfied' with bronze in season finale
Samuel Girard, of Ferland-et-Boilleau, Que., came away with bronze in the 1,000 in the World Cup season finale.
Hungary's Shaolin Sandor Liu crossed first with a time of one minute, 26.223 seconds. Hwang Dae Heon took silver on home ice, clocking in at 1:26.365, followed by Girard at 1:26.426.
Girard said it was a tough race in which he recovered to finish third.
"It was a tough race, everyone was looking to go out front, there was a lot of movement during the first lap," said Girard, who earned his third individual medal of the season.
"There was some contact mid-race, which pushed me back to fourth place, but after that there was an opening that allowed me to move back up to third. There was no opening after that, so I'm satisfied with bronze."
Girard narrowly missed the podium on Saturday when he placed fourth in the 1,500 race which was won by teammate Charles Hamelin.
Canada wrapped up the season with 21 medals. Furthermore, the men's and women's relay teams also qualified for the 2018 Games.