OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 10, 2022 – Ottawa long track speed skater Isabelle Weidemann skated to silver in the women’s 5000m and bronze in the 3000m at the Ice Ribbon in Beijing.
Skating in the fifth of six pairings for the 12 and a half lap race, Weidemann, who was born and raised in Ottawa, looked smooth and relaxed through the first 3000 metres, keeping her lap times in the high 31-second / low-32 second range for a nice even pace. When she crossed the line, she stopped the clock at 6:48.18 to take the lead, guaranteeing her a medal with just two skaters to go.
Weidemann ended up finishing second behind Irene Schouten of the Netherlands to take the Silver. Schouten proved tough to beat as she set an Olympic record of 6:43.41, breaking a mark that had stood since 2002. Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic took bronze in 6:50.09.
The silver follows the bronze medal Weidemann won in the 3000m, which was Team Canada’s first medal of Beijing 2022. The Ottawa speed skater joins Clara Hughes and Cindy Klassen as the only Canadians to win Olympic medals in the women’s 5000m.
Last season at the World Single Distances Championships, Weidemann just missed the podium in this event, finishing fourth. She was also fourth at the worlds in 2019.
Weidemann won silver in the only 5000m World Cup race held this past fall. That is one of three World Cup medals she has in the distance.
Although Isabelle Weideman, 26, was born and raised in Ottawa, she now resides in Calgary.
SOURCE notes Olympic.ca
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