Speed Skating
Canadian speed skaing team to have distinctive local flavour
By Fred Sherwin
The Orleans Star

Two athletes with local roots will lead Canada's long track speed skating team this season after winning five titles between them at the recent Canadian Single Distance Championships in Calgary.

Colonel By Secondary School alum Isabelle Weidemann won three titles (3,000, 5,000 and Mass Start) and Garneau grad Ivanie Blondin had a pair of wins (1,000 and 1,500) to nearly sweep the women's finals. The 500-metre event was won by Saskatchewan native Marsh Hudley.

Orléans native Isabelle Weidemann won three events at the recent Canadian Single Distance Championships in Calgary. Speed Skaing Canada Photo

Weidemann and Blondin both competed at the Winter Olympics in Korea last February. Weidemann finished 6th in the 5,000 and 7th in the 3,000, while Blondin finished 4th in the 5,000 and 5th in the 3,000.

It was Blondin's second Winter Games and Weidemann's first.

Previously a long distance specialist, Blondin is now focused on the intermediate distances. Her winning times in the 1,000- and 1,500-metre events at the Canadian championships have qualified her for the upcoming World Cup season at both distances. She is also pre-qualified in the 5,000 metres based on her past results in international competition.

The same is true for Weidemann who qualifed in the 3,000, 5,000 and Mass Start by winning all three races.

The 23-year-old Weidemann easily met the Wolrd Cup qualifying standard in the 3,000 with a time of 4:02.68 and she bettered the qualifying standard in the 5,000 by five seconds, despite being the only skater in the event.

The two women are now preparing for the first World Cup event of the season which will take place in Obihiro, Japan from Nov. 16-18. A week later they will compete in Tomakomai, Japan.

Other World Cup events are being held in Tomaszow Mazoviecki, Poland (Dec. 7-9); Heerenveen, Netherlands (Dec. 13-16); and Hamar, Norway (Feb. 1-3). The World Single Distance Championships will take place in Inzell, Germany on Feb. 7-10 and the World Cup Final will take place in Salt Lake City on March 9-10.

(Posted Oct. 28, 2018.)