Canadian speed skater Blondin captures gold at World Cup stop in Japan

Canadian speed skater Ivanie Blondin won ISU World Cup gold in the women's 3,000-metre long track competition Saturday in Nagano, Japan.

The 34-year-old from Ottawa led the race from start to finish, posting the fastest split time for each lap to clock four minutes 3.76 seconds at the first event of the World Cup season.

Blondin skated in the third of eight pairs, waiting several rounds before stepping atop the podium.

"I knew it was a good race, but I wasn't expecting the result after I finished, especially knowing who was skating after me," Blondin said. "I knew I was skating well, especially after yesterday's 1,500-metre which was confirmation I was heading in the right direction. But I'm still a little bit shocked by the win."

WATCH | Blondin skates to gold in Nagano:

Blondin captures World Cup speed skating gold medal in Nagano

4 days ago

Duration 1:40

Crossing the finish line with a winning time of 4:03.76 Ottawa's Ivanie Blondin claimed the 3000-metre speed skating world cup gold in Nagano, Japan.

Norway's Ragne Wiklund, the 2023 world champion in the distance, took silver and Joy Beune of the Netherlands took bronze. They had identical times of 4:04.60.

It was Blondin's first gold in an individual World Cup distance besides the mass start since the last event in Nagano during the 2019-20 season.

She placed fifth in the 1,500 on Friday, finishing 0.07 seconds off the podium.

"My mindset is good this year; I am trying new things and having a lot of fun during training," Blondin said. "I think that being more relaxed is paying off on the ice."

Blondin's gold marked Canada's second medal in two days after long-track star Laurent Dubreuil of Levis, Que., took 500-metre silver Friday at Nagano's M-Wave.

In other notable Canadian results Saturday, Graeme Fish of Moose Jaw, Sask., was fourth in the men's 5,000 and Valerie Maltais of Saguenay, Que., was fifth in the women's 3,000.

Competition wraps up Sunday with the team pursuit, second 500 races, the mass start and the mixed-gender relay.

WATCH | Full replay coverage of Saturday's action from Nagano:

ISU Speed Skating World Cup Nagano: Day 2

5 days ago

Duration 3:34:25

Watch day two coverage of the ISU speed skating World Cup races from Nagano, Japan.

Key dates:

• 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)