Dutch women win world gold in speedskating’s team pursuit, Canada takes silver
By The Canadian Press on February 16, 2024.
CALGARY – The Netherlands reclaimed the gold medal in speedskating’s women’s team pursuit at the world championship and Canada took silver. The Dutch women were the fastest in last year’s world championship, but were disqualified because of an equipment violation. The gold went to Ottawa’s Isabelle Weidemann and Ivanie Blondin and Valerie Maltais of Saguenay, Que., but the reigning Olympic champions weren’t able to match the Dutch speed at Calgary’s Olympic Oval. In team pursuit, two teams of three skaters begin simultaneously on opposite sides of the oval and race the clock over six laps for women and eight laps for men. Joy Beune, Irene Schouten and Marijke Groenewoud threw down a time of two minutes 51.20 seconds in the opening race. The Canadians finished 2.83 seconds back for silver in their pairing with the United States. The Japanese women were in silver-medal position until their bell lap. They couldn’t hold their pace and dropped to third. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2024. 9-8
