Kim Boutin

Other information

COMPETITION BREAK She took time away from competition during the 2020/21 season, and did not participate at the 2021 World Championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands. She said she was prioritising her preparations for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. "I made the choice not to compete at worlds this season [2020/21]. It's a totally considered decision and I'm convinced it's the right one. We've had a rollercoaster year with the pandemic and it was a good time to step back. I think that break has done me good both physically and mentally." (schaatsen.nl, 30 Aug 2021; passionpvss.blogspot.com, 16 Feb 2021; Instagram profile, 16 Feb 2021) RETIREMENT THOUGHTS She questioned her desire to continue pursuing the sport following the retirement of her international teammate Samuel Girard in May 2019. Girard had won a gold medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, but quit short track after deciding he was happy with what he had achieved in the sport. National coach Frederic Blackburn eventually talked Boutin out of retirement, and the pair decided she would benefit from some time training in the Netherlands. "It's normal to have other goals, and for myself, I feel sometimes that I want to be with my family more, or that I want to do something else with my life. I needed to reconnect with myself. Did I want to continue speed skating? Did I have something more to [accomplish]? [In the end] I just needed to change my routine. It was a hard thing losing my teammate [Girard], and I wanted to know what the goals are for people who are the best in other countries. What are they doing to challenge themselves?" (cbc.ca, 08 Nov 2019) ONLINE ABUSE AT OLYMPICS She received online abuse and death threats after winning a bronze medal in the 500m at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. Korean skater Choi Min-Jeong had been disqualified after the two made contact during the race. Boutin's social media accounts were temporarily closed and Korean police opened an investigation. She saw Choi the day after the race in the cafeteria, and the two shared a hug. "She [Choi] asked me if I was okay. She was surprised to see me, but also pleased. She really seemed empathetic towards me. All the Korean [team] greeted me after that." Korean police ultimately tracked down three youths responsible for the threats, but Boutin declined to press charges, instead asking police to give the youths a letter she had written explaining the impact of their threats. (plus.lapresse.ca, 05 Jul 2018; bbc.com, 14 Feb 2018; nationalpost.com, 17 Feb 2018)

twitter.com/kimbtin

Ambitions	To compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (news.trenddetail.com, 13 Oct 2022)
Memorable sporting achievement	Setting a world record in the 500m in 2019 in Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America. (Athlete, 05 Dec 2019)
Milestones	She became the first short track skater representing Canada to win three individual medals at a single edition of the Olympic Winter Games by claiming bronze medals in the 500m and 1500m and a silver medal in the 1000m at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Oct 2018; plus.lapresse.ca, 05 Jul 2018; OIS, 17 Feb 2018)

Training Regime	She trains at the National Training Centre in Montreal, QC, Canada.
Name of coach	Sebastien Cros [national], FRA

Hobbies

Painting, knitting. (speedskating.ca, 31 Dec 2020)

www.facebook.com/kimbtin/

Awards and honours	She received the 2022 Nathalie Lambert Award from Speed Skating Canada, which recognises the Canadian Short Track Female Athlete of the Year. She also won the award in 2020 and 2018. (speedskating.ca, 01 Mar 2022) She was named the 2018 Female Winter Athlete of the Year at the Canadian Sports Awards. (globalnews.ca, 21 Sep 2018) She was flag bearer for Canada at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (OIS, 25 Feb 2018) She received the 2015 Short Track Rising Star Award from Speed Skating Canada. (sirc.ca, 28 Oct 2015)
Injuries	She missed the 2020 Four Continents Championships in Montreal, QC, Canada, due to a knee injury. She also decided to withdraw from the 2020 World Cup event in Dordrecht, Netherlands, in order to rest and prepare for the world championships in Seoul, Republic of Korea, the following month. The world championships were eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (cbc.ca, 11 Feb 2020; isu.org, 09 Feb 2020, 16 Apr 2020) She sustained a back injury in 2016 that kept her out of action for six months. (Athlete, 05 Dec 2019, 08 Nov 2017) She was unable to skate for several months during the 2014/15 season because of a back injury. (Athlete, 10 Dec 2015)

Reason for choosing this sport

Her brother was already involved in skating and Boutin wanted to follow him. "I love the sport because you can always improve and do better."

Hero / Idol

Canadian short track skater Marianne St-Gelais. (olympic.ca, 20 Aug 2017)

When and where did you begin this sport?

She began skating at age six in Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.

Sporting philosophy / motto

"I've changed my mindset, which was to challenge myself every day. I can still challenge myself but in the end, it will be my day, or not." (reuters.com, 01 Feb 2022)