Ivanie Blondin captures overall mass start speed skating World Cup title
Canada’s Ivanie Blondin captured the overall World Cup women’s mass start title at a speed skating event in Heerenveen, Netherlands on Sunday.
Despite finishing fifth in the season’s final race with a time of eight minutes 31.01 seconds, the Ottawa native’s whopping 548 points was enough to secure her place atop the standings.
Melissa Wijfje of the Netherlands was first in a time of 8:11.74, followed by Maryna Zuyeva of Belarus (8:12.54) and Irene Schouten of the Netherlands (8:30.63).
Schouten, who missed the fifth race in the six-competition schedule, was second overall with 492 points, followed by Japan’s Nana Takagi at 442.
WATCH | Ivanie Blondin captures overall World Cup podium:
Blondin’s overall victory, in tandem with her world championship win back in February, punctuates a return to form for the 29-year-old speedster.
After failing to grace the podium in Sochi, Russia, Blondin was largely expected to medal in Pyeongchang but the closest she managed was fourth in the team pursuit. Her overall victory, appears to cement her amongst speed skating’s elite.
On the men’s side, Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil kept heating up the ice.
One day after capturing silver in the men’s 500 metres, the Levis Que., native decided that twice is just as nice.
Dubreuil clocked 35.304 seconds to claim his second 500 silver. However, he once again finished behind Japan’s Tatsuya Shinhama who took gold with his 34.070. Yamato Matui, also of Japan, took bronze with 34.365.
Entering the race Dubreuil was sixth in the overall standings, but thanks to his stellar two-day run, the 27-year-old leapfrogged into 3rd with a grand total of 420 points.
WATCH | Dubreuil secrues overall 3rd place finish in Heerenveen:
Shinhama took the overall title with 483 and Russia’s Viktor Mushtakov (433) came second.
Dubreuil who also came second in Saturday’s 1,000, has now won three silver medals in two days of competition.
