Canada's Ivanie Blondin wins speedskating World Cup mass start gold in Calgary

Ottawa's Ivanie Blondin won the women's mass start in a speedskating World Cup event.

The 35-year-old from Ottawa also helped Canada earn team pursuit silver with Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann earlier in the day.

Blondin surged into the lead heading into the final straightaway of the 16-lap mass start, which features head-to-head racing against 22 other women.

Maltais, of La Baie, Que., was fourth after taking the silver medal in the season-opening race in Salt Lake City.

Blondin won an Olympic silver medal in 2022 in the women's mass start.

Ottawa's Ivanie Blondin wins women's mass start World Cup gold in Calgary

In winning the women's team pursuit, the Dutch laid down a time of two minutes 52.2 seconds in the six-lap race at the Olympic Oval.

Ottawa's Weidemann and Blondin, and Maltais of La Baie, Que., skating in the final pairing with the United States finished in 2:52.68.

Their national record is 2:52.067.

"I think we're pushing Japan and the Dutch. I think the Dutch [iced their] 'A' team today and we were close," Maltais told CBC Sports. "We're still [figuring out] where to put the hammer down to make sure we are consistent.

"Our speed is there. It's just fine-tuning. It's exciting to watch. The times are so close [and] that wasn't the case last season.

Canada captures silver in women's team pursuit at World Cup in Calgary

Japan placed third just over half a second back of the Dutch.

"I think we all heard the crowd, which was nice. Home crowd, and it's pretty electric," Blondin said, standing alongside her teammates. "It definitely adds a tad bit of motivation for all of us."

Weidemann, Blondin and Maltais are the reigning Olympic champions in the event after taking gold in Beijing in 2022.

"I get to