Blondin earns rare overall podium finish for Canadian women at allround speed skating worlds
Ivanie Blondin claimed a silver medal Sunday at the ISU world sprint/allround speed skating championships in Hamar, Norway, becoming the first Canadian woman to reach the overall podium at the event since Christine Nesbitt won bronze in 2012.
The 29-year-old Ottawa native captured second in the overall standings behind Dutch skater Ireen Wüst by earning three top-five finishes in her four races at the event, including a second-place finish in the first 3,000-metre allround race. She finished fifth in the 1,500 and fourth in the 5,000 on Sunday. Antoinette de Jong of the Netherlands took bronze.
WATCH | Ivanie Blondin captures overall silver in Hamar, Norway:
Blondin has had a tremendous World Cup season that has seen her win medals in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000. Decorated Olympian Cindy Klassen was the last Canadian woman to win gold at the world allround speed skating championships when she achieved the feat in 2006.
Fellow Ottawan Isabelle Weidemann finished 14th in the overall allround standings, while Saguenay, Que., native Valerie Maltais finished 17th.
Roest wins men’s gold
Patrick Roest of the Netherlands won his third straight gold medal at the men’s allround speed skating championships, finishing ahead of Sverre Lunde Pedersen of Norway and Japan’s Seitaro Ichinohe.
Calgary native Ted-Jan Bloemen finished as the top-ranked Canadian at the men’s allround event with a seventh-place finish, while Jordan Belchos of Toronto and Winnipeg’s Tyson Langelaar finished eighth and 13th, respectively.
