He says the move is not a career switch. After leaving the 2022 Olympics with only a silver medal in the mixed relay, he wants to try new things and find a different path to future success.

Dandjinou will enter the 1,500‑metre race and is also thinking about the mass‑start event at the nationals.

He talked the idea over with teammate Valérie Maltais, who moved from short‑track to long‑track and has earned four Olympic medals – a gold and two bronzes from the recent Milan Games and a short‑track silver from Sochi 2014.

Short‑track head coach Marc Gagnon welcomed the experiment, saying many short‑track athletes could benefit from trying long‑track and that he is happy Dandjinou is giving it a go.

Because Dandjinou is skipping the first two World‑Tour stops in Vancouver and Montreal, he can reset, pick up new skills on the long‑track ice, and then return to short‑track at the third stop in Seoul, aiming for a stronger showing at the next Olympics.