Canadian long-track speedskater Isabelle Weidemann has captured bronze in the women’s 3,000 metres, giving the country its first medal at the Beijing Olympics.
BRONZE
Isabelle Weidemann has won #TeamCanada’s first medal of #Beijing2022 with a long track in the women’s 3000m
Details: https://t.co/1SceewcrRG pic.twitter.com/ZWNBXBdUom
— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) February 5, 2022
The Ottawa native finished in 3 minutes 58.64 seconds on Saturday and was in first before the final pairing.
Irene Schouten of the Netherlands won gold in an Olympic record time of 3:56.93. Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy was second in 3:58.06.
It was Canada’s first Olympic medal for in women’s long-track speedskating since 2010.
Weidemann rallied from a deficit in the second-last pairing, making her move in the final two laps to overtake Norway’s Ragne Wiklund.
Valerie Maltais of Saguenay, Que., finished 12th, while Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin placed 14th.
Weidemann was considered a top medal threat after coming into the Olympics leading the long-distance standings on the World Cup circuit this season.
The 26-year-old Weidemann was seventh in the 3,000 metres at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.
More to come.
