Golden dreams dashed for Canadian By QMI Agency

Apolo Anton Ohno (left) of the U.S. celebrates as Charles Hamelin of Canada (right) reacts after the men’s 1,500 meters short track speed skating semi-finals at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, February 13. (REUTERS/David Gray)

For Canada, it's a golden opportunity gone at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Speed skater Charles Hamelin, touted as a threat to become the first-ever Canadian to win a gold medal on home soil, instead failed to qualify for the finals of the 1,500-metre short-track competition on Saturday night.

The 25-year-old native of Saint-Julie, Quebec finished a disappointing third in his semifinal heat behind two rivals who qualified for the final — Lee Jung-Su of Korea and American star Apolo Ohno.

He finished fourth in the 1,500 in Turin four years ago.

Canada's hopes for an early gold — no Canadian won a gold in either of the two other Olympics held here, 1976 in Montreal or 1988 in Calgary — now rest on Jennifer Heil in the women's moguls. She is set to compete Saturday night for the gold, which she also won at the Turin Games.