BEIJING — Canadian speedskater Isabelle Weidemann picked up Canada’s first medal on the Beijing Olympics with bronze within the ladies’s 3,000 metres.
The 26-year-old from Ottawa completed with a time of 3 mins 58.64 seconds on the Ice Ribbon oval.
Weidemann knew she had a medal with the highest time heading into the overall pairing of Irene Schouten of the Netherlands and Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida. Schouten skated to the highest of the rostrum in an Olympic-record time of three:56.93, adopted through Lollobrigida at 3:58.06.
No Canadian girl had gained a long-track medal for the reason that 2010 Olympics.
“I am beautiful crushed. I used to be very worried these days, however was once so happy how the race went and to deliver house a medal … I used to be shaky firstly and through 4 laps in I may really feel the combat,” mentioned Weidemann.
“I’ve a large circle of relatives and such a lot of buddies and body of workers right here, those who believed in me for goodbye. I’m so satisfied to be bringing one thing again for them.”
Kristina Groves was once the closing Canadian to win a medal within the 3,000, racing to bronze in 2010. Cindy Klassen additionally captured bronze in each 2002 and ’06.
Weidemann arrived in Beijing a medal contender in each the three,000 and 5,000 metres. She climbed the rostrum in 3 Global Cups this season, profitable silver in Poland, Norway and Calgary.
Her worst end was once a fourth within the 3,000 in Salt Lake Town.
Weidemann was once probably the most Canadian ladies who completed fourth within the staff pursuit on the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang. She was once 6th within the 5,000 and 7th within the 3,000.
The ladies’s 3,000 was once the primary long-track race of the Video games, the place Canada is a medal favorite in different occasions.
The ambience on the Ice Ribbon is not anything like earlier Video games or Global Cups, the place Dutch fanatics specifically are identified for his or her garish orange outfits and clanging cowbells.
COVID-19 protection measures limited the group to just a couple hundred fanatics, who with courtesy clapped as cheering is not authorized.
