Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin kicked off the World Cup long-track speedskating season with a gold medal in the mass start in Obihiro, Japan on Friday. Blondin celebrates at the end of the Mass Start Final Women event of the World Cup Speed Skating in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Piotr Hawałej
OBIHIRO, Japan – Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin kicked off the World Cup long-track speedskating season with a gold medal in the mass start in Obihiro, Japan on Friday.
Blondin earned a decisive victory in a time of eight minutes 25.11 seconds, defeating Esther Kiel of the Netherlands (8:25.45) and Mia Kilburg-Manganello of the United States (8:25.58) in a sprint to the finish line.
Canadian teammate Valerie Maltais, of La Baie, Que., finished fourth in 8:26.05.
It was the 33-year-old Blondin’s second career mass start medal in Obihiro, having previously won gold in 2014.
She is coming off a successful 2022-2023 season in which she won the World Cup title and brought home a silver medal from the world championships.
The World Cup event continues through Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2023.
