CALGARY –
Canada won gold in the women’s team pursuit on Saturday at the Olympic Oval while Connor Howe won his first individual medal in long track speed skating winning silver in the men’s 1,500 meters.
Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann, both of Ottawa, and Valérie Maltais of Saguenay, Que., Finished first with a Canadian record of two minutes 52.06 seconds.
“It’s always exciting to do it at home,” Weidemann said. “We were a little nervous doing it in front of the local crowd, but I’m really, really proud of these girls.
“We performed really well today and I think that’s why we got the win.”
It was the third consecutive gold medal in the World Cup team pursuit for the Canadians. Japan was second in 2: 52.89 and China was back in third in 2: 58.42.
“It’s heartwarming to support each other before the race,” said Blondin. “I was more excited than anything and I knew what this team was obviously capable of. I also think we are capable of more.
“Each time we get better and better and today was such a great race and it’s so satisfying.”
Maltais added that they have enormous confidence in each other which is why they are so successful.
“I would say it was definitely our cleanest race today,” she said. “That was the main goal. I think we kept it pretty simple. We knew how to skate together.”
Earlier in the day, Howe of Canmore, Alta., Was second behind American Joey Mantia in a personal best 1: 42.42.
“It was really exciting, especially being the home rink,” said Howe, who was cheered on by his parents and a few friends in the stands. “It was a little more familiar and I’m confident here so it definitely helps here.”
The result propelled Howe to third in the World Cup standings to pre-qualify to represent Canada over the distance for the Beijing Olympics in February.
Howe led on the last lap but wasted time and settled for second as Mantia took gold in 1: 41.86.
“Sometimes on the home ice, people can pull one out so I was a little nervous but I came away with the gold so it was good,” said Mantia, who leads the Cup standings. world ahead of the Chinese Zhongyan Ning.
Norwegian Allan Dahl Johansson won bronze in 1: 43.27.
Angelina Golikova of Russia won gold in the women’s 500m with a personal best 36.66 seconds. Japan’s Nao Kodaira was second in 36.76 and American Erin Jackson took bronze in 36.92.
Kaylin Irvine of Calgary was 16th and Heather McLean of Winnipeg 17th. Golikova won bronze in the 500m a day earlier.
In the women’s 1000m, Japan’s Nao Kodaira won in 1: 12.51 ahead of American Brittany Bowe (1: 12.54) and Russian Olga Fatkulina (1: 13.15). Maltais was the top Canadian in the 18th.
Dutch skater Albertus Hoolwerf won the men’s mass start in 7: 38.88. Belgian Bart Swings was second (7: 46.36) and German Felix Rijhnen was third (7: 46.49).
Jordan Belchos of Toronto was seventh and Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu of Sherbrooke, Que., Eighth.
The three-day ISU event concludes on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 11, 2021.
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