Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin kicked off the World Cup long-track pace skating season with a gold medal within the mass begin in Obihiro, Japan on Friday.
Blondin earned a decisive victory in a time of eight minutes 25.11 seconds, defeating Esther Kiel of the Netherlands (8:25.45) and Mia Kilburg-Manganello of the USA (8:25.58) in a dash to the end line.
“I wasn’t fairly certain how I’d do as a result of we have not raced in fairly a while, however the pace was there, and I used to be actually pleased with it. Close to the top, I simply went for it,” Blondin stated.
Canadian teammate Valérie Maltais, of La Baie, Que., completed fourth in 8:26.05.
WATCH | Blondin victorious in Japan:
Featured VideoOttawa’s Ivanie Blondin wins the ladies’s mass begin competitors in Obihiro, Japan, within the first ISU World Cup pace skating occasion of the season.
It was the 33-year-old Blondin’s second profession mass begin medal in Obihiro, having beforehand received gold in 2014.
“From a technique perspective, Valérie and I had been protecting for one another to ensure there have been no massive breakaways. I believe it will have been nice if each Canadians had been on the rostrum in the long run,” Blondin stated.
She is coming off a profitable 2022-2023 season by which she received the World Cup title and introduced house a silver medal from the world championships.
On the lads’s aspect, Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu of Sherbrooke, Que., was fourth within the mass begin after not competing within the self-discipline as soon as final season.
The World Cup occasion continues with stay protection out there starting at 12:30 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports activities app and CBC Gem.
WATCH | Motion from Day 1 in Obihiro, Japan:
.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:*510w)
Featured VideoWatch as a number of the finest pace skaters on the earth go to Meiji Hokkaido Tokachi Oval in Obihiro. Japan for the primary ISU World Cup occasion of the season.
