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Canada’s speed skating team continued a medal-filled season on Sunday, led by the No. 1-ranked women in team pursuit.
Valérie Maltais, Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann won gold in two minutes 57.20 seconds to beat the Unites States (2:57.29) and Japan (2:58.62) in Hamar, Norway.
Canada, which had the third slowest start in the four-team field, chipped away at the lead and overtook the U.S. over the final 200 metres.
“I knew that we were behind. I slipped off the start, and we were chasing the whole time. We were just trying to make up the time in the last few laps, and we managed, barely,” said Weidemann, the Ottawa native, who collected silver in the women’s 3,000 metres on Saturday.
“I know the girls talk quite a bit behind me, but I don’t hear them very much in the front. I’m just trying to go as hard as I can off the start and keep that pace consistent. So, I didn’t really know where we were, but I knew that we were a little behind.”
It represented Canada’s first World Cup victory in women’s team pursuit since January 2024 in Salt Lake City.
Weidemann, Maltais and Blondin also earned silver earlier this season in Salt Lake City and Calgary after not picking up a medal last season.
Canada’s Valérie Maltais, Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann win gold Sunday in the team pursuit at ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Hamar, Norway.
The defending Olympic champions finish the World Cup season ranked first overall (169 points) ahead of Japan (156 points).
“We’re really happy. Last year, we really struggled and weren’t even close in the overall rankings, so to put down some solid performances, two silver and a gold, gives us a lot of confidence in the strategy we are using and the work that we have done,” Weidemann said.
‘Going to be good fight’ at Olympics
“There are four or five teams that are really strong and have the chance to be on the podium at the Olympics, and we’re trying to keep the pressure on them. It’s going to be a good fight that’s for sure.”
Isabelle Weidemann of Ottawa captured a 3000-metre World Cup speed skating silver medal Saturday in Hamar, Norway.
Blondin, who also hails from Ottawa, grabbed bronze in women’s mass start on Sunday to bring the Canadian long track team’s season total to 15 medals across four events.
The 35-year-old shadowed Dutch rival Marijke Groenewoud for much of the race but was unable to overtake her in the final sprint, crossing the line in 8:24.47, narrowly behind Groenewoud (8:24.28). Bente Kerkhoff of the Netherlands won in 8:23.19.
Maltais of La Baie, Que., was fifth (8:24.89).
“I think the first half of the mass start season was okay, but there were some mistakes made. I just have to keep learning from those,” said Blondin. “Today, it was a completely different race. I thought the Dutch girls were going to simultaneously attack but they didn’t because the pace was high throughout the entire race.
“It’s been a long five weeks for me. I’ve been training through it, on top of competing in almost every single distance, so I’m looking forward for a bit of a break.”
The Canadian will be idle until the Jan. 3-6 Canada Cup in Quebec City, where the remaining Olympic team spots for Milan Cortina in February will be filled.
The international speed skating season features a final World Cup stop in Inzell, Germany before the Winter Games in Italy.
Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin claimed a bronze medal in the women’s mass start race Sunday at ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Hamar, Norway.
Other Canadian results Sunday
Women’s 500 metres
- Carolina Hiller-Donnelly: 11th
- Brooklyn McDougall: 15th
- Beatrice Lamarche: 17th
Men’s 500
- Cedrick Brunet: 19th
- Laurent Dubreuil: 20th
Men’s mass start
- Jake Weidemann: 7th
- Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu: 11th
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