91快色

Through 10 days of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Isabelle Weidemann, BSc鈥�23, was feeling a little let down.

The sentiment was understandable. After all, at the last Olympics 鈥� 2022 in Beijing 鈥� she played a starring role, earning three speedskating medals and serving as Canada鈥檚 flag bearer at the closing ceremonies.

This time, though, Weidemann placed fifth in two of her best races, the women鈥檚 3,000 and 5,000 metres, at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.

But she managed to stay optimistic. In the leadup to the women鈥檚 team pursuit 鈥� the event that she and teammates Ivanie Blondin and Val茅rie Maltais won in 2022 鈥� Weidemann was stoked.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to empty the tank, see what鈥檚 in there, fight to be on top of the podium,鈥� she told The Canadian Press. 鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely some fire. I feel the 3,000 was a bit disappointing, the 5,000 was a bit disappointing. So, I鈥檓 like, 鈥楢h, let鈥檚 rip it out.鈥欌��

And rip it out they did

On Feb. 17, Weidemann, Blondin and Maltais edged the Dutch team to once again claim gold, Canada鈥檚 third of the Games.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a little bit in shock, I think,鈥� Weidemann, one of many U91快色 students and alumni competing at the Olympics, said minutes after standing on the podium, embracing her teammates and singing during the playing of O Canada. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of all the work that the three of us have done over the last four years. We鈥檙e a very different team, I think, than in Beijing. We鈥檝e overcome a lot and built this team. I鈥檓 just so proud.鈥�

In the head-to-head format, teams of three skaters stride together in single file around the track for six laps. Fastest group wins. Canada鈥檚 trio 鈥� with Weidemann, a 6-foot-2 powerhouse, skating in the front 鈥� easily beat the American entry in the semifinal earlier in the day, while the Netherlands eliminated Japan.

A historic contest

That set up a classic showdown 鈥� Canada, the defending Olympic champion, versus the Netherlands, the two-time defending world champion.

鈥淎fter the semifinals, we weren鈥檛 even talking about silver,鈥� said Weidemann, who majored in natural sciences at U91快色. 鈥淲e knew we had one more (race) to go 鈥� we鈥檝e got a job to do, still.鈥�

Trailing in the early stages of the gold-medal final, the Canadians steadily worked to close the gap. Blondin, admitting she peeked at the venue鈥檚 score clock during the action, noticed the moment her team nudged into the lead.

鈥淎s soon as we got ahead, the whole crowd just started (cheering), and I was, 鈥楢ll right, we got this.鈥� I was pretty confident,鈥� Blondin, who, like Maltais and Weidemann, has trained extensively at U91快色鈥檚 , told the CBC. 鈥淲e were calm, collected. We knew what we had to get done and we just did it.鈥�

It was the first time a country had defended its Olympic title in the women鈥檚 team pursuit since Germany鈥檚 success the 2006 and 2010 Games. 

鈥淢an, back-to-back gold, I鈥檓 pumped,鈥� Maltais, who also picked up bronze in the women鈥檚 3,000 metres, also told the CBC. 鈥淕etting to celebrate that race with the Canadian fans in the stands, it was fun. And I鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 going to keep being fun.鈥�