MILAN — Canadian speedskaters Valérie Maltais, Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann repeated as Olympic champions in women’s team pursuit Tuesday.
The trio defeated the Netherlands in the final at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
The Canadians trailed the Dutch early, but surged into the lead on the eighth lap of the 12-lap event for a winning time of two minutes 55.81 seconds.
The Netherlands finished in 2:56.77.S
It was the second medal of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics for Maltais, of La Baie, Que. She took bronze in the women’s 3,000 metres.
She and Blondin are medal contenders in Saturday’s mass start.
As the Canadian women celebrated with their coach, Remmelt Eldering, Blondin jumped in his arms so hard that both fell to the ice.
When Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” played during their victory lap, Blondin, flanked by Maltais and Weidemann, danced to the tune as the women held onto two Canadian flags to link them together.
Canada reached the final after beating the United States by just over four seconds in their semifinal.
The Netherlands defeated Japan by just over a tenth of a second in the other semifinal.
Maltais, Blondin and Weidemann beat Japan for gold in Beijing, where Nana Takagi fell with less than a lap to go.
Japan was the bronze medallist this time.
Ottawa’s Weidemann claimed a fourth career Olympic medal after taking silver in the women’s 5,000 metres and 3,000 metres in Beijing.
Ottawa’s Blondin was a silver medallist in the mass start there.
The speedskaters claimed Canada’s 12th medal of the games and third gold.
