Canada wins speedskating gold in World Cup women’s team pursuit

Canada’s Ivanie Blondin, Valeri Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann won gold in women’s team pursuit at a World Cup speedskating event Saturday.

The trio’s first podium-topping performance of the season came in a time of three minutes 0.280 seconds, just ahead of Japan (3:01.516) and the Netherlands (3:02.699) in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland.

Using a strategy that earned them two gold medals last year, Maltais kicked things off before the Saguenay, Que., native gave way to Blondin. She took over after 1 1/2 laps and then made made way for Weidemann — a fellow Ottawa product — for the final three spins around the track.

“All three of us were a bit anxious for the first team pursuit of the year,” Maltais said. “Sharing this energy with the girls, we went into the race reminding one another of the things we know we can do well together.

“We focused on ourselves and our own performance to best execute our race.”

The only other Canadian to achieve a top-10 result Saturday was Connor Howe. The Canmore, Alta., native finished fifth in the men’s 1,500 metres — the 21-year-old’s best World Cup result in an individual race to date.

The event in Poland concludes on Sunday with the second men’s 500 metres, women’s 1,500 metres, men’s 1000 metres, women’s mass start and men’s team pursuit.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2021.