Canadian Speed Skaters Shine at Four Continents Championships
Canadian speed skaters showcased their talent and prowess at the Four Continents championships held in Hachinohe, Japan, with Ivanie Blondin leading the charge with a stellar performance.
Ivanie Blondin’s Dominance
Ivanie Blondin, hailing from Ottawa, clinched the gold medal in the women’s mass start event with an impressive time of 9 minutes 23.28 seconds. This victory marked her third individual distance medal of the weekend, having also secured bronze in both the 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters.
WATCH | Blondin captures gold in women’s mass start:
In addition to Blondin’s remarkable achievement, Canadian male speed skaters David La Rue from Saint-Lambert and Hayden Mayeur from Toronto secured silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s mass start event.
David La Rue’s Near Miss
David La Rue showcased a strong performance and was leading the pack entering the final lap. However, a slight slip in the final corner allowed Kazakhstan’s Vitaliy Chshigolev to outstretch him at the finish line, forcing La Rue to settle for the silver medal.
“I am really happy to have reached the podium with Hayden today,” La Rue expressed. “It’s kind of funny because we were talking strategy before the race and told ourselves that we would stay behind to conserve our energy, but in the end, that’s not at all what happened.”
WATCH | A pair of Canadians podium in the men’s mass start:
Canadian Success in Men’s Team Pursuit
Hayden Mayeur, along with teammates Connor Howe and Ted-Jan Bloemen, secured the bronze medal in the men’s team pursuit event. Despite not achieving the desired speed, the Canadian team displayed solid teamwork and potential for future competitions.
“We weren’t as quick as we had hoped to be, but this is a new team pursuit group,” Mayeur mentioned. “We were able to extract a lot of information from this first race together so that we improve and contest for a medal at the upcoming World Cup.”
WATCH | Canada captures bronze in men’s team pursuit:
Laurent Dubreuil’s Bronze Medal
Another standout performance came from Quebec City’s Laurent Dubreuil, who clinched the bronze medal in the men’s 1000m event with a time of 1:09.52. Dubreuil’s achievement added to Canada’s successful campaign at the championships.
WATCH | Dubreuil skates to bronze in men’s 1000m:
Upcoming Events and Competitions
For speed skating enthusiasts, here are some key dates to mark on your calendars:
- World Cup, Calgary (Jan. 24-26)
- World Cup, Milwaukee, Wisc. (Jan. 31-Feb. 2)
- World Cup, Zakopane, Poland (Feb. 21-23)
- World Cup, Heerenveen, Netherlands (Feb. 28-March 2)
- World Single Distance Championships, Hamar, Norway (Feb. 15-18)
Canadian Speed Skating Roster
- Ted-Jan Bloemen (Calgary)
- Laurent Dubreuil (Lévis, Que.)
- Graeme Fish (Moose Jaw, Sask.)
- Connor Howe (Canmore, Alta.)
- Anders Johnson (Burnaby, B.C.)
- Tyson Langelaar (Winnipeg)
- David La Rue (Saint-Lambert, Que.)
- Hayden Mayeur (Toronto)
- Yankun Zhao (Calgary)
- Christopher Fiola (Montréal)
- Ivanie Blondin (Ottawa)
- Carolina Hiller (Prince George, B.C.)
- Béatrice Lamarche (Quebec City)
- Valérie Maltais (La Baie, Que.)
- Maddison Pearman (Ponoka, Alta.)
- Isabelle Weidemann (Ottawa)
With a strong showing at the Four Continents championships and a talented roster, Canadian speed skaters are poised for success in upcoming competitions.