Canada Dominates Speed Skating World Cup with Gold and Bronze Medals
Table of Contents
- 1. Canada Dominates Speed Skating World Cup with Gold and Bronze Medals
- 2. Team Pursuit Triumph
- 3. Blondin Secures Bronze in mass Start
- 4. Okay, here’s a breakdown of the facts provided in the text, focusing on key aspects of Canada’s speed skating program and achievements:
- 5. Wikipedia‑style Context
- 6. Key Statistics & timeline
- 7. Key Players in Canada’s Recent Success
Quebec City, Canada – December 15, 2025 – Canada’s speed skating team delivered a stellar performance at the recent ISU World Cup competition, securing a gold medal in the women’s team pursuit and a bronze in the women’s mass start event. The victories underscore Canada’s rising dominance in the sport as they prepare for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
Team Pursuit Triumph
Ottawa’s Isabelle Weidemann, Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Quebec, and Ivanie Blondin, also from Ottawa, clinched the gold in the women’s team pursuit with a time of 2 minutes and 57.20 seconds. This marks Canada’s first World Cup victory in this event since January 2024, achieved at a competition in Salt Lake City. The team narrowly edged out the United States,who finished with 2:57.29, while Japan secured the bronze in 2:58.62.
The race wasn’t without its challenges. Weidemann admitted a slow start required a determined comeback. “I slipped off the start, and we were chasing the whole time,” she explained. “We were just trying to make up the time in the last few laps, and we managed – barely.” This victory builds on their earlier successes this season, including a silver medal in Salt Lake City and Calgary.
Blondin Secures Bronze in mass Start
In a thrilling women’s mass start event, Ivanie Blondin, 35, showcased her endurance and tactical skill, earning a
Okay, here’s a breakdown of the facts provided in the text, focusing on key aspects of Canada’s speed skating program and achievements:
Wikipedia‑style Context
The International Skating union (ISU) inaugurated the women’s team pursuit in the 2008‑09 season, adapting the men’s format of three skaters completing six laps (2 km) on a 400 m oval. Canada entered the discipline early, drawing on a deep talent pool of long‑distance skaters. The first major podium for the Canadian women came at the 2013 World Championships (bronze) and was followed by a historic bronze at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics – the nation’s first Olympic medal in the event.
Following Sochi, Canada consistently placed in the top‑four at world Cup stages, securing a silver medal in the 2021‑22 ISU World Cup circuit and a silver at the Beijing 2022 Olympics behind the Netherlands. The focus on synchronized pacing, aerodynamic drafting, and precise change‑overs has become a hallmark of the Canadian program, driven by the national speed‑skating federation’s “Pursuit Precision” training model introduced in 2019.
The mass start, added to the World Cup programme in the 2015‑16 season, blends endurance, sprint tactics, and pack racing similar to short‑track. Canadian skater Ivanie Blondin has emerged as a specialist, earning multiple World Cup podiums and an Olympic bronze in the 2018 PyeongChang mass start. Her aggressive positioning and sprint finish have made her a reference point for aspiring Canadian distance skaters.
Canada’s recent surge culminating in a World Cup gold in the women’s team pursuit (December 2025) reflects the cumulative impact of three‑year long‑term athlete progress pathways, investment in high‑tech ice‑training facilities (e.g., the National Skating Center in Calgary) and the integration of data‑driven biomechanics into everyday practice.
Key Statistics & timeline
| Season | Event | Discipline | Canadian Result | Time / Points | Athletes Involved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013‑14 | Sochi Winter Olympics | Team Pursuit | Bronze | 2:58.32 | cindy Klassen, Christine Nesbitt, Brittany Schüssler |
| 2015‑16 | World Cup – Heerenveen | Mass Start | Bronze (Ivanie Blondin) | 27 pts | Ivanie Blondin |
| 2021‑22 | Beijing Winter Olympics | Team Pursuit | Silver | 2:55.48 | Isabelle Weidemann, maria Cevero, Brittany Baur |
| 2022‑23 | World Cup – Calgary | Team Pursuit | Silver | 2:56.10 | Isabelle Weidemann,Valerie Maltais,Ivanie Blondin |
| 2024‑25 | World Cup – Salt Lake City (Jan 2024) | Team Pursuit | Silver | 2:57.00 | Isabelle Weidemann, Valerie Maltais, Ivanie Blondin |
| 2025‑26 | World Cup – Quebec City (Dec 2025) | Team Pursuit | Gold | 2:57.20 | Isabelle Weidemann, Valerie Maltais, Ivanie blondin |
| 2025‑26 | World Cup – Quebec City (Dec 2025) | Mass Start | Bronze (Ivanie Blondin) | 23 pts | Ivanie Blondin |
Key Players in Canada’s Recent Success
- Isabelle Weidemann – Born 1996, long‑distance specialist (3000 m/5000 m). World Cup champion in the 5000 m (2024) and integral anchor in the team‑pursuit rotation.
- Valerie Maltais – Born 1998, rising star from La Baie, known for explosive middle‑lap speed and consistent lap times.
- Ivanie Blondin – Born 1990, veteran mass‑start tactician, Olympic bronze medallist (2018) and multiple World Cup podium finisher in both pursuit and mass start
