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BEIJING — Canadians Kim Boutin and Courtney Sarault had to settle for a skate in the B final of the women's 1,500-metre event after failing to qualify for the final. 

Boutin finished third and Sarault finished fourth in the B final, resulting in a 10th and 11th place finish overall.

Earlier, Boutin and Sarault had also finished third and fourth, respectively, in their semifinal heats. 

Korea's Minjeong Choi won the gold in 2:16.831, followed by Italy's Arianna Fontana in silver and Suzanne Schulting from the Netherlands in bronze.

Only the first two skaters from each semifinal made it to the final, as well as the fastest third-place skater.

Boutin was unable to maintain her pace until the end of her semifinal, finishing third in a time that was not fast enough to make the A Final. 

Skating in the fastest heat, Sarault was just edged out in a photo finish by Dutch skater Xandra Velzeboer, who qualified for the final based on her time.

Earlier, Quebec's Danaé Blais fell during her quarterfinal heat and was eliminated. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2022. 

The Canadian Press