Canadian speed skaters miss podium at world single distance championships
Women's team finishes 4th, men's squad races to 5th-place result
Canada just missed the podium in the women's and men's team pursuit events on Friday at the world single distance speed skating championships.
Ottawa's Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann and Valerie Maltais of Saguenay, Que., skated to a fourth-place finish in the women's race, finishing 0.58 seconds behind bronze medallist Russia.
Japan took gold and the Netherlands captured silver.
"We are happy with our race. We skated well together and battled hard," Maltais said. "Our time wasn't far off the podium. It was the first time we skated this discipline together on the international stage, so it's motivating for next season."
On the men's side, Ted-Jan Bloemen of Calgary, Jordan Belchos of Toronto and Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu of Sherbrooke, Que., finished fifth.
The Netherlands won gold, ahead of Norway and Russia.
WATCH | Complete coverage from Friday:
