By Canadian Press

Ottawa speedskater Ivanie Blondin takes silver in World Cup mass start

Feb 12, 2023 | 2:05 PM

TOMASZÓW MAZOWIECKI, Poland — Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin took silver in the women’s mass start event Sunday at the second-last World Cup speedskating stop of the season.

The 32-year-old picked up her fourth World Cup podium of the season in the distance in a time of nine minutes 34.47 seconds.

Marijke Groenewoud of the Netherlands (9:34.23) took the gold medal while American Mia Kilburg (9:34.61) finished with bronze.

Blondin was well positioned for the final sprint but was unable to catch Groenewoud in the straight as the Dutch skater won her first gold medal of the season.

Blondin enters the final World Cup of the season ranked second overall in the Mass Start with 355 points thanks to four medals — one gold, two silver and one bronze.

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Groenewoud (424 points) appears to have the World Cup title locked up, but Kilburg (340) and Italy’s Laura Peveri (336) are within striking distance of Blondin.

“I’m happy with the result and how I fought to the finish,” Blondin said. “We didn’t let any breakaways get away from us.”

On the men’s side, Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu was six-hundredths of a second away from winning his second career World Cup medal in the 1,000 metres, but the Sherbrooke, Que., native fell short of knocking Poland’s Damian Zurek out of bronze medal position.

Dutch skater Hein Otterspeer won gold and teammate Kjeld Nuis took silver.

The World Cup speedskating season ends next weekend with a second straight competition in Poland.

The Canadian team has won an 26 World Cup medals (seven gold, 12 silver, seven bronze) across five events, including three medals this weekend.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2023.

The Canadian Press