Blondin earns Mass Start bronze while Maltais finishes fifth; both skaters prequalified for Milano-Cortina in the distance

HAMAR, NORWAY – Canada’s long track speed skaters earned a pair of medals on the final day of ISU World Cup Speed Skating action before the holidays, bringing their season total to 15 medals across four events.

Racing alongside the United States in the third of four pairs, the women’s Team Pursuit trio of Isabelle Weidemann (Ottawa, Ont.), Valérie Maltais (La Baie, Que.) and Ivanie Blondin (Ottawa, Ont.) overcame a slow start, the third slowest in the field, and gradually chipped away at the lead, overtaking their pair mates in the final 200m to earn the top spot. 

The Canadians secured gold with a time of 2:57.20, narrowly ahead of the Americans (2:57.29), while Japan rounded out the podium in bronze medal position (2:58.62).

“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. 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.”

Isabelle Weidemann

Sunday’s gold marked Canada’s first World Cup victory in the women’s Team Pursuit since January 2024 in Salt Lake City. Weidemann, Maltais and Blondin also won silver earlier this season in Salt Lake City and Calgary, after not reaching the podium at all during last season’s campaign. The defending Olympic champions finish the World Cup season ranked first overall (169 points), slightly 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. 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

Blondin followed up her Team Pursuit gold with yet another podium performance in the women’s Mass Start. 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 with a time of 8:24.47 to take bronze, narrowly behind Groenewoud (8:24.28). The race was won by Bente Kerkhoff of the Netherlands (8:23.19), who broke away following the final intermediate sprint lap and never looked back. Fellow Canadian Maltais finished just off the podium in fifth place (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. 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 5 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.”

Ivanie Blondin

Canada’s top speed skaters have a few weeks off before lacing up their skates again at the Long Track Canada Cup from January 3-6, 2026, in Quebec City, where the remaining Olympic team spots will be filled.

The 2025-26 international speed skating season features one last World Cup stop in Inzell, from January 23-25, before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina get underway in early February.

Results

Women’s 500m

Carolina Hiller-Donnelly: 11th
Brooklyn McDougall: 15th
Beatrice Lamarche: 17th
Jenna Larter: 9th (Division B)

Men’s 500m

Cedrick Brunet: 19th
Laurent Dubreuil: 20th
Anders Johnson: 10th (Division B)
Christopher Fiola: 12th (Division B)

Women’s Mass Start

Valerie Maltais: 3rd
Ivanie Blondin: 5th

Men’s Mass Start

Jake Weidemann: 7th
Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu: 11th

Team Pursuit

Women’s: 1st
Men’s: 1st (Division B)