Canada wins gold in women's team pursuit after Japanese skater wipes out on last lap

Canada won its second gold medal of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Tuesday, topping the podium in the women's team pursuit.

Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin and Valerie Maltais defeated Japan’s Ayano Sato, Miho Takagi and Nana Takagi in the final at the National Speed Skating Oval.

Nana Takagi fell to the ice heading into the final corner to add some extra drama to what would have been an extremely tight finish. Japan held the lead for the entirety of the race leading up to the fall, and Nana Takagi was in tears after crossing the finish line as her team settled for silver.

Canada’s time of 2.53.44 set a new Olympic record. The Canadian trio beat the Netherlands in the semifinal held earlier Tuesday to set up their historic final race. The Dutch group went on to secure the bronze against the ROC.

This is Weidemann’s third medal of these Games, leading all Canadian athletes in the 2022 Olympics. The 26-year-old previously won the silver in the individual 5,000m event and the bronze in the individual 3,000m event. These are Blondin and Maltais’ first medals in Beijing.

Canada's total medal count stands at 17 with two gold, four silver and 11 bronze with five days of competition remaining before Sunday's closing ceremony.

Maltais, the 31-year-old from Saguenay, Que., becomes just the third athlete to ever win Olympic medals in both short track and long track speed skating.

This is Canada’s first-ever gold medal in the women’s team pursuit, and its first medal in the event since Turin in 2006.

On the men's side, Norway earned gold after defeating the ROC in the final. The United States edged the Netherlands for bronze to round out the podium.

Canada's team of Jordan Belchos, Ted-Jan Bloemen and Tyson Langelaar finished in fifth.

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