Canadian speed skater Isabelle Weidemann secured a silver medal in the women’s 3,000 meters at a recent World Cup event in Hamar, Norway. Hailing from Ottawa, Weidemann had a steady performance, eventually surpassing her Norwegian competitor, Ragne Wiklund, to finish with a time of four minutes and 1.30 seconds. The gold medal was claimed by Marijke Groenewoud from the Netherlands.
Reflecting on her race, Weidemann acknowledged the challenge posed by Wiklund throughout the season but expressed confidence in her racing strategy. Despite a slower start, Weidemann found her pace and excelled on the ice, outmaneuvering her opponents as the race progressed.
Valerie Maltais from La Baie, Que., and Ivanie Blondin from Ottawa finished the event in fourth and tenth place, respectively. Weidemann’s success continued from the previous week, where she clinched a silver medal in the 5,000 meters.
With a strong season performance, Weidemann currently holds the second position overall in the women’s long distances with 191 points, just ahead of teammate Maltais with 174 points. This achievement positions them well for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics.
In other events on Saturday, Beatrice Lamarche from Quebec City secured the tenth spot in the women’s 1,000 meters. Calgary’s Ted-Jan Bloemen finished fifth in the men’s 5,000 meters, with gold going to Metoděj Jílek from Czechia, who set a track record.
Fans can catch live coverage of Sunday’s competitions in Hamar on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, starting at 7 a.m. ET. For the full streaming schedule, visit the official CBC Sports website.