Canadian speed skater Ivanie Blondin achieved an impressive feat by earning three medals at the previous year’s World Championships. (Photo credit: Matthias Schrader/The Associated Press)
As the countdown to the next Winter Olympics begins, Canadian long-track speed skaters are gearing up for another medal-filled season. With 15 months until the Games in northern Italy, the team looks ready to replicate, or even surpass, its recent successes.
In 2022, Canadian long trackers earned five medals at the Beijing Olympics, second only to the snowboarders' six. The momentum carried over to the 2023 World Single Distances Championships in Calgary, where Canada claimed a national record of 10 medals. While their golds came in non-Olympic events like the men's and women's team sprints, the eight podium finishes in Olympic categories signal strong prospects for 2026.
Among the standouts, Ivanie Blondin and Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu shone brightly, each contributing to team sprint victories and earning individual honours. Blondin added silvers on the women's team pursuit and mass start, while Gélinas-Beaulieu bagged silver in the men's mass start and bronze in the team pursuit. Laurent Dubreuil also dazzled with a gold in the men's team sprint and a silver in the 500m. Isabelle Weidemann, a 2022 Olympic flag-bearer, claimed silvers in both the team pursuit and 3,000m, continuing her impressive streak.
The 2023-24 campaign closed with notable results at the Sprint and Allround World Championships. Dubreuil clinched bronze at the sprint worlds, while Valérie Maltais and Blondin placed in the top ten at the allrounds in Germany.
Canada’s World Cup season was equally fruitful, with 23 medals, including five golds, across six events. Blondin and Maltais dominated the women's mass start standings, while Dubreuil and Ted-Jan Bloemen secured second places in their respective categories.
The new World Cup season kicks off in Japan with high hopes after a strong showing at last week’s Four Continents Championships. Canadian skaters collected 12 medals, led by Blondin with two golds (mass start, team sprint) and two bronzes (1,500m, 3,000m). Graeme Fish claimed gold in the 5,000m, and Dubreuil added three medals, demonstrating the team’s depth and readiness for tougher competition.
However, the field tightens as European powerhouses like the Netherlands join the fray. Notable international stars to watch include American sensation Jordan Stolz, who swept his events at the world championships, and Dutch skater Jutta Leerdam, a six-time world champion and social media icon.
Fans can catch all the action of the World Cup opener live on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem starting tonight at midnight.
