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Ivanie Blondin wins 5th consecutive speed skating gold medal

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.

Fellow Canadian Isabelle Weidemann, men's team pursuit squad add bronze in Japan

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Ivanie Blondin of Ottawa celebrates her victory in the women's 3,000 metres on Saturday in Nagano, Japan. Each of her past five World Cup wins have come in different disciplines. (Toru Hanai/Associated Press)

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.

Her time of 4:00.243 represented a track record at M-Wave arena.

A week ago in Kazakhstan, Blondin ruled the 1,500 in one minute 55.599 seconds to eclipse the 1:56.10 track record held by fellow Canadian Christine Nesbitt since 2011.

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.

WATCH | Blondin wins women's 1,500 metres in record time on Dec. 8:

Ivanie Blondin claims World Cup 1,500m gold in Kazakhstan

5 years ago
Duration 2:37
Canada's Ivanie Blondin wins the 1,500m event with a track record time of 1:55.599.

"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."

Weidemann, who also hails from Ottawa, skated in the final pair of the 3,000 on Saturday against world-record holder Martina Sáblíková and earned a bronze medal to share the podium with Blondin for the third time this season in individual competition.

Sáblíková sits atop the World Cup long-distance rankings ahead of Blondin and Weidemann.

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.

"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
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