Team Canada won the gold medal on Tuesday in the women’s team pursuit at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. The Canadian team comprised of Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann of Ottawa, Ontario, and Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Quebec.
Canada began the Olympic women’s team pursuit speed skating competition by finishing second in the quarterfinals with a time of 2:53.97 on Saturday. They advanced to the final four alongside Japan, the Netherlands, and the Russian Olympic Committee.
In the semifinals on Monday evening in Canada (Tuesday in Beijing), Canada posted a time of 2:54.97 to beat the Netherlands, which had a time of 2:55.93. Japan won the other semifinal with a time of 2:58.93. They beat the Russian Olympic Committee, which had a time of 3:05.92. In the final, Canada posted an Olympic record time of 2:53.44. They beat the Japanese by 11.03 seconds, after the Japanese posted a time of 3:04.47. Japan had the lead heading into the final lap, when Nana Takagi fell. The Netherlands won the bronze medal as they posted a time of 2:56.86 in beating the Russian Olympic Committee.
The Japanese team in the gold medal race comprised of Ayano Sato, Miho Takagi, and Nana Takagi. The Netherlands team in the bronze medal race comprised of Marijke Groenewoud, Irene Schouten and Ireen Wust.
Maltais becomes the third speed skater ever to win a medal in long track and short track. She won a silver medal in the women’s 3000 metre short track speed skating relay at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. The other two to accomplish the feat were Jorien ter Mors of the Netherlands and Eric Flaim of the United States. Weidemann meanwhile has now won three medals at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. She won silver in the women’s 5000 metres and bronze in the women’s 3000 metres.
Canada is now tied for third with the United States in the overall medal count with 17 medals. Norway leads with 24 medals and the Russian Olympic Committee is second with 20 medals.
