Isabelle Weidemann (born July 18, 1995) is a Canadian speed skater.[1][2] She is a multiple Olympic medallist, winning gold in the team pursuit, silver in the 5,000 metre, and bronze in the 3,000 metre at the 2022 Winter Olympics. She is the third Canadian ever to have won more than two medals at a single Winter Olympic Games following Cindy Klassen and Gaétan Boucher.[3] Weidemann also previously won a silver and bronze medal at the 2021 and 2020 World Single Distance Championships in women's team pursuit.

Isabelle Weidemann
Personal information
Born (1995-07-18) July 18, 1995 (age 28)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
CountryCanada
SportSpeed skating
EventTeam pursuit
ClubGloucester Concordes
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2018
2022
Personal best(s)500=40,34
1,000=1.17,53
1,500=1.54,02
3,000=3.55,33
5,000=6.46,81
Medal record
Women's speed skating
Representing  Canada
Winter Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing Team pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2022 Beijing 5000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Beijing 3000 m
World Single Distances Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Heerenveen Team pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2021 Heerenveen Team pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2024 Calgary 3000 m
Silver medal – second place 2024 Calgary Team pursuit
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Salt Lake City Team pursuit
Four Continents Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Salt Lake City Team pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2024 Salt Lake City 3000 m

Career edit

Weidemann's first competition for the Canadian national team was during the 2014 World Junior Speed Skating Championships. She began competing in her first full senior season during the 2015-16 World Cup competition.[1] At the 2015 World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships she placed fifth in the 5,000 m, indicating the success she may have in the long-distance events in her career.[1] Weidemann won her first World Cup medals when she won a pair of bronze medals as part of the team pursuit in the fall of the 2017-18 World Cup season.[1] Weidemann was named to Canada's 2018 Olympic team where she finished seventh and sixth respectively in the 3,000 m and 5,000 m events in her first Olympic competition.[4][5][6]

Following the Olympics, during the 2018-19 World Cup season, she began to find individual success, finishing on the podium several times, including one gold medal.[1] The following season, she finished second overall in the World Cup standings for long-distance events and had two gold medal wins. Weidemann also won a bronze medal as part of the team pursuit with Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais at the 2020 World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships. The trio of Canadian speed skaters would continue success together the following season, winning both World Cup events and winning silver at the 2021 World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships taking place during a pandemic shortened season.

2022 Winter Olympics edit

In January 2022, Weidemann was named to Canada's 2022 Olympic team[7][8][9] She won Canada's first medal of the games, a bronze, in the 3000 metres event.[10] This was the first medal for Canadian female speed skaters since the 2010 Winter Olympics when Kristina Groves won bronze in the same distance.[11] After winning the medal she told Canadian media that "It's pretty surreal right now, I'm pretty emotional. But I'm very excited."[11] Weidemann would later win the silver medal in the 5000 metres event.[12][13] Weidemann also won the gold medal in the team pursuit event.[14][15] Due to her successes at the games, Weidemann was named as the closing ceremony flagbearer.[16][17][18]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Isabelle Weidemann Team Canada Olympic Profile". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  2. ^ Speed skating results profile
  3. ^ John Molinaro (February 15, 2022). "Canada sets Olympic record en route to speed skating gold medal in women's team pursuit". CBC Sports.
  4. ^ Harrison, Doug (January 10, 2018). "Ted-Jan Bloemen, Ivanie Blondin front Canada's Olympic long track team". cbc.ca/sports/. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  5. ^ Spencer, Donna (January 10, 2018). "Speed skater Denny Weidemann and 'guardian angel' wife both headed to Olympics". Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Canadian Press. Retrieved January 11, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Canadian long track speed skating team named for PyeongChang 2018". speedskating.ca/. Speed Skating Canada. January 10, 2018. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  7. ^ Nichols, Paula (January 17, 2022). "16 long track speed skaters nominated to Team Canada for Beijing 2022". www.olympic.ca/. Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  8. ^ "Bloemen, Dubreuil leads Canada's long-track speedskaters into Beijing". Canadian Press. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. January 17, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  9. ^ "Speed skating Olympians Blondin, Dubreuil front Canada's long track team for Beijing". www.cbc.ca/. CBC Sports. January 17, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  10. ^ Stinson, Scott (February 5, 2022). "Canada's Isabelle Weidemann wins Olympic bronze in long track speed skating". National Post. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Isabelle Weidemann skates to Canada's 1st medal of Beijing 2022 with bronze in women's 3,000m". CBC Sports. February 5, 2022.
  12. ^ Cseplo, Simone (February 10, 2022). "Weidemann becomes Canada's first double medallist of Beijing 2022". www.olympic.ca/. Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Barnes, Dan (February 10, 2022). "Canada's Isabelle Weidemann wins Olympic bronze in long track speed skating". National Post. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  14. ^ Boynton, Sean (February 15, 2022). "Canada wins gold medal in women's team pursuit speed skating at Beijing Olympics". Global News. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  15. ^ "Canada captures gold in Olympic women's speedskating team pursuit". www.sportsnet.ca/. Sportsnet. February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Nichols, Paula (February 19, 2022). "Weidemann to be Team Canada's Closing Ceremony flag bearer at Beijing 2022". www.olympic.ca/. Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  17. ^ "Speed skater Isabelle Weidemann named Canada's flag-bearer for Closing Ceremony". www.sportsnet.ca/. Sportsnet. February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  18. ^ Dichter, Myles (February 19, 2022). "Isabelle Weidemann, Olympic champion and triple-medallist, to carry Canada's flag in closing ceremony". www.cbc.ca/. CBC Sports. Retrieved February 19, 2022.

External links edit