Team Canada wins second straight Olympic gold medal in women’s team pursuit
Team Canada’s incredible trio of Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais, and Isabelle Weidemann have won their second straight Olympic gold medal in the women’s team pursuit, following up their victory at Beijing 2022 with another at Milano Cortina 2026.
They defeated the reigning world champions from the Netherlands by 0.96 in the final. Just as in the semifinals earlier in the day, Blondin, Maltais, and Weidemann were not super fast off the start, but quickly ramped up their speed and by the fourth lap of the six-lap race had taken the lead. The Canadians widened the gap at every subsequent split until crossing the line triumphant in 2:55.81.
No country has won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the women’s team pursuit since Germany did it in 2006 and 2010.
The Canadians advanced into the race for the gold medal with what ended up being an easy victory against the United States in the semifinal. Though the Americans got out to an early lead, the Canadians executed their race plan to perfection and by the midway mark had gotten faster than their opponents. They ended up winning the head-to-head showdown by 4.22 seconds and were just two and a half seconds off the Olympic record they set in the final in Beijing.
In the team pursuit, the three skaters on each team can change positions throughout a race. But after testing several options this season, the Canadians have gone with the strategy of putting Weidemann, who stands over 6 feet tall, at the front of the line for the entire race, providing a great draft for Maltais and Blondin behind her.
Blondin, Maltais, and Weidemann began competing as a team pursuit trio after Maltais switched over from short track to long track speed skating ahead of the 2018-19 season. They have reached the podium at five straight ISU World Single Distances Championships, winning one gold (2023), two silver (2021, 2024), and two bronze (2020, 2025).
This is Maltais’ second medal of the Games, following her bronze in the women’s 3000m which was Team Canada’s first at Milano Cortina 2026. She now has four career Olympic medals, as does Weidemann, who adds to the three she won at Beijing 2022. For Blondin, it is a third career Olympic medal. She still has her best individual event, the mass start, ahead of her.
