Following their victory in the team pursuit event at Beijing 2022, speed skaters Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais, and Isabelle Weidemann have become a target for their competitors globally.
As they gear up for the upcoming Winter Games, the Canadian trio understands the importance of not becoming complacent as defending Olympic champions.
Blondin, Maltais, and Weidemann have assembled in Salt Lake City for the initial World Cup event of the long track season, which has been shortened due to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games in February.
Prior to the rest of the Canadian team’s arrival, the trio has set up a team pursuit-focused camp in Utah to refine their strategies and aim for another podium-topping performance.
While this isn’t the first time the three skaters have competed together, this particular camp is dedicated solely to the team pursuit discipline they excelled in during the previous Olympic Games. They have acknowledged the need for adapting their race tactics to reclaim their top position.
CBC Analyst Kristina Groves breaks down the team pursuit in long track speed skating, which sees three athletes competing together to push each other to the fastest time.
The women’s team pursuit format involves two teams of three skaters starting simultaneously on opposite sides of a 400-metre oval, completing a total of six laps, with efficient teamwork crucial to achieving the fastest time.
Reflecting on their initial team pursuit experience at the 2019 world championships, the trio recalls the challenges and the evolution of their strategies since then to keep up with their advancing rivals.
Their past successes have spurred them to constantly refine their tactics and leverage their individual strengths to enhance their team performance, aiming to push their limits and reclaim their peak form.
As individual stars in the sport, Weidemann, Blondin
