10,000m ISU Long Track Championships

Faster than a speed-skater, Canada’s media team for speedskating Canada get the word out that we are again on the podium for Speed Skating.

Calgary’s Ted-Jan Bloemen won Canada’s first-ever Silver medal in the men’s 10 000 metre Long Track Speed Skating World Championship event.

This kicked off the ISU World Single Distance Championships which will take place until February 14th in Kolomna, Russia.

Skating in the next-to-last pairing, Ted-Jan Bloemen clocked a time of 12 minutes and 59.69 seconds, therefore beating the track record in Kolomna, at least temporarily.

Sven Kramer of the Netherlands, who was in the last pairing, ended up being the fastest skater on the day with a time of 12:56.77. Erik Jan Kooiman, also from the Netherlands, finished third in 13:02.15.

Ted-Jan still holds the world record in this distance with a time of 12:36.30 set at the World Cup stage in Salt Lake City last November told the media “It was a really hard race today. It was a struggle for me,”

Bloemen had to spend a period of almost two months away from competition because of a leg injury.

He returned to action two weeks ago, and won a bronze medal in the 5000m at the World Cup stage held in Stavanger, Norway.

Teammate Jordan Belchos (Toronto) finished fifth in Thursday’s 10 000m race with a time of 13:10.99 which was his best finish ever at a senior international competition.

His previous best finish so far had been ninth place on the World Cup circuit and 11th place at the World Single Distance Championships.

Weidemann the top Canadian in the women’s 3000m

In the women’s 3000m, Isabelle Weidemann of Ottawa, who is taking part in her first career World Single Distance Championships, was the top Canadian with a 10th-place finish (4:09.72).

Czech skater Martina Sábliková won gold (4:03.05), while Dutch skaters Ireen Wüst (4:03.13) and Antoinette de Jong (4:04.25) respectively earned silver and bronze.

Ivanie Blondin, of Ottawa, was 17th in 4:15.52.

“Obviously, it wasn’t my best performance today,” said Blondin, who was seventh in last year’s race at the same competition. “Sometime races don’t go the way you want them to. For me now, it’s a matter of hitting the reset button for the mass start and focus my energy on that.”

Weidemann and Josie Spence (Kamloops), will be skating in the women’s 5000 metres February 12th.

Spence will skate rather than Blondin, who will focus on preparing for Sunday’s mass start.

Also Friday, Calgary’s Kaylin Irvine will be taking part in the women’s 1000m, while Vincent De Haître (Cumberland Ontario) and Ben Donnelly will do so in the 1500m.

Donnelly, Bloemen and Belchos will also race in the men’s team pursuit.

Thanks to speed skating Canada for the info.