Canadian Olympic gold medalist Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Quebec won three silver medals in a weekend of World Cup speed skating in Salt Lake City, Utah. She won silver in the women’s 3000 metres on Friday, silver in the women’s team pursuit with fellow Canadian Olympic gold medalists Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann of Ottawa, Ontario on Sunday, and silver in the women’s mass start on Sunday. Beatrice Lamarche of Quebec City, Quebec won bronze in the women’s 1000 metres on Friday. Then on Sunday, Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu of Sherbrooke, Quebec won a bronze in the men’s mass start.
In the women’s 3000 metres, Maltais had a time of 3:56.53. Joy Beune of the Netherlands won the gold medal with a time of 3:53.69. Ragne Wiklund of Norway won the bronze medal with a time of 3:57.19. Maltais reached the podium by 1.12 seconds. Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy finished in fourth place with a time of 3:57.65.
In the women’s 1000 metres, Lamarche had a time of 1:12.77. Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands won the gold medal with a time of 1:12.35. Femke Kok of the Netherlands won the silver medal with a time of 1:12.43. Lamarche reached the podium by 0.34 seconds. Marrit Fledderus of the Netherlands finished in fourth place with a time of 1:13.11.
In the women’s team pursuit, Maltais, Blondin and Weidemann had a time of 2:52.40. Japan won the gold medal with a time of 2:52.13. The United States won the bronze medal with a time of 2:54.01. Canada reached the podium by 1.98 seconds over Germany, which had a fourth place time of 2:54.38. The Olympic gold medals for Maltais, Blondin and Weidemann came in the women’s team pursuit at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
In the women’s mass start, Mia Manganello of the United States won gold and Bente Kerkhoff of the Netherlands won bronze. In the men’s mass start, Jorrit Bergsma of the Netherlands won gold and Felix Maly of Germany won silver. The medals for Maltais, Blondin, Weidemann, Lamarche and Gelinas-Beaulieu will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
