(January 22) – A delayed and condensed long-track season opened today in the Netherlands, where skaters are bubbled for two World Cup meets and the Feb. 11-14 world championships.
This should have been a promising season for Canada, which won nine medals — including three gold — at the world single distances championships last February in Salt Lake City. But the team cautioned us to not expect much in the Dutch bubble — it’s been close to a year since Canadians last competed, and the pandemic also curtailed their ice time. The Calgary oval where they normally train has been closed since September, forcing Canadian skaters to get their workouts in on short tracks and an outdoor oval in Alberta. A two-week training camp in northern B.C. in November was the team’s only chance to skate on a proper surface before the season.
But, to everyone’s surprise, Canada won medals in both of the medal races held today: gold in the women’s team pursuit and bronze in the men’s team pursuit. Read more about those results here.
Thirteen Canadians are competing in the Dutch bubble, including two of the country’s three gold medallists from last year’s worlds. Ivanie Blondin is the reigning world champion in the women’s mass start, and Ted-Jan Bloemen is the reigning men’s 5,000-metre world champ and 10,000m Olympic champ. Graeme Fish, who won the men’s 10,000 at last year’s worlds (Bloemen took silver) decided to skip this season.
Blondin was part of today’s women’s team pursuit victory, along with Isabelle Weidemann and Valérie Maltais. That trio took bronze in this event at last year’s worlds. Bloemen teamed with Jordan Belchos (the mass start silver medallist at last year’s worlds) and Connor Howe for the men’s bronze today.
You can watch Canadian skaters go for more medals live Saturday from 8:15-11:50 a.m ET and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and the CBC Sports app. The World Cup event also leads off Saturday’s edition of Road to the Olympic Games, which you can watch from noon-6 p.m. ET on the CBC TV network and CBC Sports’ digital platforms. Read more about how Canadian skaters are approaching the bubble here.
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