Canada sets Olympic record en route to speed skating gold medal in women's team pursuit

Canada's Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais set a new Olympic record to win the gold medal in women's team pursuit in long track speed skating in Beijing.

The Canadians beat defending Olympic champion Japan's Ayano Sato, Miho Tagaki and Nana Tagaki in Tuesday's dramatic final at the National Speed Skating Oval. Canada posted a time of two minutes and 53.44 seconds, while Japan finished in 3.04.47.

Japan enjoyed a slender lead with a half lap to go but Nana Takagi lost her balance coming through the final turn and crashed into the padding, allowing Canada to cruise to the win. Takagi was in tears after crossing the finish line, and was immediately consoled by her sister Miho Takagi and Sato.

Weidemann, a 26-year-old from Ottawa, leads all Canadian athletes in medals at the 2022 Olympics, having previously won the individual silver and bronze in the 5,000m and 3,000m. She becomes only the second Canadian long track speedskater to win more than two medals at a single Olympics. Cindy Klassen won five in 2006 in Turin, Italy.

This is the first time that Canada has won an Olympic gold in women's team pursuit. It previously won silver in the event when it made its Olympic debut at the 2006 Games.

The Japanese team set a new Olympic record last weekend during the quarter-finals by clocking in at 2:53.61.

The Canadians beat the Netherlands' Ireen Wust, Irene Schouten and Antoinette de Jong in the semifinals earlier on Tuesday, while Japan cruised to victory over the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).

Canada was aiming for an Olympic gold medal in Beijing after losing to the Netherlands in the finals of last year's world championships.

Tuesday's gold medal also comes in the aftermath of the Canadian team