The Ottawa athlete offered Canada his first Olympic medal, bronze in the 3000m. She became Canada’s first double medalist in Beijing five days later with silver in the 5000m.
The 26-year-old skater concluded her second Games in apotheosis with gold in the team pursuit, with Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais. It all came down to the last corner. The race, tight until then, turned in favor of the Canadians after the fall of a Japanese skater.
Weidemann, Blondin and Maltais have been preparing for this event for a long time, neglecting no detail. To motivate themselves further, they made gold certificates, valid until these Games, which they each kept in their wallets.
It is such an honor to carry the Canadian flag at the closing ceremonies. It’s a crazy conclusion to a truly extraordinary week. I am so proud to be a member of this team, said Isabelle Weidemann. I don’t know how many times this week I’ve shared the joy, but also the sadness of other people. It was amazing to see everyone give their best performance.
« We may have been distant from our families and friends back home, but thank you all for cheering us on from across the country. We felt that support and I’m so proud to be part of that inspiration and to be part of the team that helped bring happiness back to Canada. »
One of the highlights for me at the Games was asking Isabelle if she was ready to carry the flag at the closing ceremony and represent the 215 athletes who proudly wore the maple leaf in Beijing, said Catriona Le May. Doan, Team Canada Chef de Mission. Not only did she offer magnificent performances on the ice, but she is an outstanding teammate with her support and positive attitude before, during and after competition.
Our flag bearer has been a shining star at these Games on and off the ice,” added Tricia Smith, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. Isabelle’s accomplishments, particularly with her teammates in the women’s team pursuit event, reflect the stories of many members of this team, the challenges they overcame.
Canada’s flag bearer at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, short track speed skater Kim Boutin, also won three medals during her Olympic fortnight.
Steven Dubois, in short track, also won three medals in Beijing (gold in the relay, silver in the 1500m and bronze in the 500m), but was not retained by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) as a standard bearer.
Canada had two flag bearers for the opening ceremony: short track skater Charles Hamelin and hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin. They each added a gold medal to their collection.