Canadian speed skaters Ivan Blondin, Beatrice Lamarche, and Carolina Hiller competed together in the women’s team sprint during the ISU World Cup Speed Skating event in Calgary on Sunday. (Photo by Todd Korol/The Canadian Press)
Canada’s women’s speed skating team brought home gold at the Calgary World Cup, ensuring the host country didn’t leave empty-handed. Meanwhile, U.S. speed skating prodigy Jordan Stolz extended his winning streak with another stellar performance.
The Canadian trio of Ivanie Blondin, Carolina Hiller, and Beatrice Lamarche claimed gold in the women’s team sprint event, a victory that lifted the spirits of the host nation. "It was a tough weekend, but this win was incredibly satisfying," said Blondin, who had finished fourth in the women’s mass start just an hour earlier.
Jordan Stolz, a 20-year-old from Wisconsin, continued his dominant form in Calgary. He captured the gold medal in the men’s 500 meters, marking an undefeated streak across the 500, 1,000, and 1,500 meters this season. Stolz’s winning time of 33.85 seconds edged out Dutch skater Jenning De Boo by two-hundredths of a second. Reflecting on his achievement, Stolz said, “Winning after the holiday break removes some pressure. I’m looking forward to racing at my home track in Milwaukee next weekend.”
Despite the gold in the women’s team sprint, Canadian skaters faced a challenging weekend. This marked the first time in 28 years that Canadians failed to secure medals in individual events during a Calgary World Cup. Ottawa’s Isabelle Weidemann, a silver medallist at the 2022 Olympics, placed fifth in the women’s 5,000 meters, while Graeme Fish of Moose Jaw finished fifth in the men’s 10,000 meters. The team’s recent high-altitude training in Utah seemed to have drained their energy reserves.
Blondin, reflecting on the team’s challenges, said, "Our focus is the world championships, so sometimes World Cup results take a backseat to training. But winning gold with the team makes it all worthwhile."
The upcoming World Championship, set for March 13-16 in Norway, remains the main goal for Canada’s skaters. In the last World Championship held in Calgary, Canada earned 10 medals, including two golds in team sprint events. Laurent Dubreuil, a Canadian veteran and former world champion in the 500 meters, expressed optimism despite finishing fifth in Sunday’s race, just shy of the podium. Recovering from a groin injury, Dubreuil said, "I still believe I can win. Beating Stolz at the world championship or Olympics would be the perfect ending to my career."
In other events, Femke Kok of the Netherlands won the women’s 500 meters, while Timothy Loubineaud of France and Greta Myers of the U.S. triumphed in the men’s and women’s mass starts, respectively.
The Calgary World Cup concluded with a mix of triumphs and lessons for Canada’s speed skaters, leaving them eager to regroup for future challenges.
