Ivanie Blondin earns new track record, 2nd speed skating gold in Nagano
Canadian star wins women's 3,000m in track record time
Ottawa's Ivanie Blondin made it five consecutive gold medals at her past two speed skating World Cup competitions in her fifth different discipline, topping the field in the women's 3,000 metres at Nagano, Japan, on Saturday.
Blondin, from Ottawa, finished the race in a new track record of 4:00.243 at M-Wave arena to land on the top of the podium, bettering the previous mark by more than three seconds.
Canada's Isabelle Weidemann took bronze in the 3,000, her time of 4:03.051 just behind the former track record holder, Martina Sáblíková of the Czech Republic, who finished in 4:01.976. Sáblíková sits atop the World Cup long-distance rankings ahead of Blondin and Weidemann.
Blondin won Friday's women's mass start event and says she was confident after the previous weekend where she set two other track records on the way to a pair of individual gold in Nur-Sultan, Kahzakstan.
Blondin ruled the 1,500 a week ago in 1:55.599 to eclipse the 1:56.10 track record held by fellow Canadian Christine Nesbitt since 2011.
WATCH | Blondin takes gold, sets new track record in Nagano:
Blondin, 29, also won the first 5,000 of her career in a track record time at the same event and was part of the Canadian women's team pursuit squad with Isabelle Weidemann, Valérie Maltais and Béatrice Lamarche that edged the Netherlands for the victory.
It was the first victory in the discipline by Canadian women since 2012 and Maltais' first time atop the medal podium since making the shift to long track last season.
"I think that consistency, believing in myself and having the confidence to succeed are what's leading to my medals right now," Blondin told Speed Skating Canada. "I sat down with my coach Remmelt [Eldering on Friday] and went through lap times, and he told me what he believed I could do, and that gave me the confidence I needed.
"I didn't rush anything, just went out there and skated my own race. It's important to keep a level head and continue to have fun."
Bronze in men's team pursuit
On the men's side, Canada's Ted-Jan Bloemen, Jordan Belchos and Tyson Langelaar skated a time of 3:44.876 for bronze in team pursuit behind Russia and Japan to finish third overall on the World Cup season to those teams.
WATCH | Canadians Bloemen, Langelaar, Belchos battle to team pursuit bronze:
"It's been an interesting first three team pursuits," said Calgary's Bloemen. "We changed up the order, one with Graeme Fish and two with Tyson Langelaar, and our strategy. We've learned a lot and will have a good plan going into the world championships [in February]."
Langelaar of Winnipeg captured bronze in team sprint on Friday to become the first Canadian male to reach the podium in both team events at the same competition.
Sunday's action, which will live streamed at 2:05 a.m. ET, will include the second women's 500, women's team pursuit and the 1,000 and 5,000 on the men's side.
Other Canadian results:
- Laurent Dubreuil (Lévis, Que.) — 10th in 500 metres
- Valérie Maltais (Saguenay, Que.) — 11th in 3,000
- Gilmore Junio (Calgary) — 13th in 500
- Heather McLean (Winnipeg) — 13th in 1,000
- Alex Boisvert-Lacroix (Sherbrooke, Que.) — 14th in 500
- Kaylin Irvine (Calgary) — 18th in 1,000
- David La Rue (Saint-Lambert, Que.) — 17th in 500, B Division
with files from Canadian Press