By Pearl Josephine Nazare
Jan 22 (Reuters) – Speed skater Ivanie Blondin returns to the Olympic stage as the heartbeat of Canada’s title-defending team pursuit squad and a mentor guiding the nation’s rising talent – a role she embraces as fiercely as her pursuit of medals.
At 35, Blondin is set to compete in the mass start, where she won silver in Beijing four years ago, the 1,500 metres and the women’s team pursuit at next month’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
She will again join Isabelle Weidemann and Valerie Maltais in the team pursuit as the trio look to defend Canada’s breakthrough 2022 Olympic title.
“Team pursuit and mass start… that’s kind of my main focus,” Blondin told Reuters.
“If I come home with one of those two medals, I’ll be very, very happy.”
Blondin has a particular affection for the team pursuit.
“I just think there’s something so beautiful about doing something as a team,” Blondin said.
“The trust between the three of us on the ice has always been there. There’s never any hesitation. We go to the line super amped, guns blazing, giving everything we can together – and that’s a really satisfying feeling.”
Blondin arrives in Milan after a strong season, winning the World Cup mass start event in Calgary, finishing third in the 1,500m in Heerenveen, and helping Canada top the overall standings in the women’s team pursuit.
Her mass start victory in Calgary in November carried extra meaning as it looks likely to be her final major race on home ice.
“It was pretty special – Calgary has been my home for so long,” she said.
“My family flew in … to execute on potentially my last big event there was emotional. I was trying not to cry.”
NEXT CHAPTER
Born in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, Blondin first tried figure skating but quickly realised it was not the right fit. At her coach’s suggestion, she switched to speed skating, eventually splitting her youth between the oval and competitive cross-country skiing, excelling in both until their schedules clashed.
Ultimately, she chose speed skating – a decision she still calls the right one – driven by the competitive fire forged from years of trying to keep up with her older brother.
That determination propelled her onto the national team, the World Cup circuit and eventually the Olympic podium. Today, she is a 17-times medallist at the ISU World Single Distances Championships.
With three Olympics behind her, Blondin is unsure about her future but sees herself continuing to be involved with Speed Skating Canada in some capacity.
As one of the team’s senior athletes, she already helps with logistical planning and travel schedules.
“Speed-skating-wise, I think I’ll always be connected somehow,” Blondin said.
“I wouldn’t mind having more of a general role with the federation – helping with travel, bookings, communications. The door isn’t closed. I’m just not 100% sure what I want to do yet,” she added.
Blondin is keen to support younger athletes and has grown into the role of a mentor.
“I love giving technical feedback. With younger skaters, if I see something that’s not quite right, I’m a very vocal person,” she said.
She added: “When I joined the national team in long track, I was surrounded by incredible athletes like Cindy Klassen and Christine Nesbitt.
“They took me under their wing and shaped me into the athlete I am today. It feels like a rite of passage to pass that on.
“We know we’re at the end of our careers. The more we can help the younger generation, the better. We love this sport, and we want to see them get the medals and the bright moments we were fortunate enough to have.”
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
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