Key Takeaways
- The Canadian long track speed skating team is gearing up for the Milan Cortina Olympics, with a mix of veteran and rookie athletes.
- Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin, and Valérie Maltais are determined to repeat as Olympic champions in the women’s team pursuit.
- The team includes five athletes with Olympian parents, highlighting the strong legacy of speed skating in Canada.
- Canada’s long track speed skaters have won 42 Olympic medals, the country’s greatest total in any winter sport.
- The team is led by experienced athletes such as Ted-Jan Bloemen, Laurent Dubreuil, and Valérie Maltais, who are looking to make the most of their Olympic experience.
Introduction to the Canadian Team
The Canadian long track speed skating team is preparing for the Milan Cortina Olympics, with a roster of 15 athletes that includes a mix of veteran and rookie skaters. Isabelle Weidemann, a 30-year-old from Ottawa, is determined to repeat as Olympic champion with fellow Canadian speed skaters Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais in the women’s team pursuit. Weidemann, who was Canada’s flag-bearer for the closing ceremony at the 2022 Games in China, plans to take on more of a leadership role in Italy next month and "make sure the next generation of athletes feels supported." With her experience and mindset, Weidemann is poised to lead the team to success in Milan Cortina.
Veteran Athletes Leading the Way
Valérie Maltais, a 35-year-old from La Baie, Quebec, is gearing up for her fifth Winter Games and second in long track after representing Canada on the short-track squad in 2010, 2014, and 2018. Maltais said she gets "emotional" competing for her country and has learned many lessons on her Olympic journey since Vancouver. "Representing Canada for the fifth time at the Olympic Games is not something I could have believed possible," Maltais said. "I still feel excited, possibly more than before my first Games. I want to make the most of this, for myself and with Team Canada." Maltais’s experience and enthusiasm will be essential in guiding the team to success.
Rookie Athletes Joining the Team
The Canadian team also includes several rookie athletes, including Béatrice Lamarche, Rose Laliberté-Roy, and Carolina Hiller-Donnelly. Lamarche captured her first World Cup medal at the season-opening event in November, grabbing women’s 1,000-metre bronze in Salt Lake City. The rookie athletes will be led by Lamarche, who will look to make a strong impression in her first Olympic Games. With the support of veteran athletes like Weidemann and Maltais, the rookie athletes are poised to make a significant contribution to the team’s success.
Men’s Team Led by Experienced Athletes
The Canadian men’s team will be led by Olympic medallists Ted-Jan Bloemen and Laurent Dubreuil. Bloemen, a 39-year-old former world record holder, collected 5,000m silver in South Korea but was held off the podium in Beijing. Dubreuil, a 33-year-old from Lévis, Quebec, will arrive in Milan Cortina as one of Canada’s most successful male speed skaters, having earned over 50 medals on the World Cup circuit. "I still feel on top of [my] game and I still believe in my [medal] chances," said Dubreuil. "But beyond the medals, I want to offer my best race ever and we’ll see where that leads me." The men’s team also includes Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu, Cédrick Brunet, and Anders Johnson, who will make their first appearance at the Games.
Legacy of Speed Skating in Canada
The Canadian team includes five athletes with Olympian parents, highlighting the strong legacy of speed skating in Canada. Siblings Laura and Daniel Hall are following in the footsteps of their father, Mike, who competed in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. Béatrice Lamarche’s father, Benoît, was an Olympian in 1984 and 1988, while Dubreuil is the son of two Olympian parents, Robert and Ariane Loignon. Cédrick Brunet is the son of ice dancer Michel Brunet, who competed at the 1998 Nagano Olympics in Japan. This legacy of speed skating in Canada is a testament to the country’s rich history in the sport.
Conclusion and Expectations
Canadian long track speed skaters have picked up 42 Olympic medals, the country’s greatest total in any winter sport, since the first Games in 1924 in Chamonix, France. With a strong team and experienced athletes, Canada is looking to improve on its five-medal haul from four years ago in Beijing. "Soak in every moment, feel the adrenaline and make the most of this Olympic experience," said Jennifer Heil, Canada’s chef de mission for Milan Cortina. As the team prepares to take on the world’s best speed skaters, they are ready to make their mark on the Olympic stage and bring home medals for Canada. With their determination, experience, and enthusiasm, the Canadian long track speed skating team is poised for success in Milan Cortina.