Canada’s Weidemann ‘disappointed’ to finish 5th
Global News
Isabelle Weidemann stepped onto the Olympic oval with medal hopes on her shoulders.
MILAN – Isabelle Weidemann stepped onto the Olympic oval with medal hopes on her shoulders.
A few strides in, the Canadian speedskater knew she wouldn’t meet those expectations.
Weidemann finished fifth in the gruelling women’s 5,000 metres Thursday at the Milan Cortina Games, clocking six minutes 50.08 seconds, almost four seconds shy of the podium.
“I just didn’t have it,” she said, smiling despite the letdown. “First lap in, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is really fast … Oh no, I can’t get this back, this is a bit gone.’ But I fought the whole time. Had nothing left.
“I’m a little bit disappointed, to be honest. I wanted to be on the podium today really badly.”
Weidemann was Canada’s closing ceremony flag-bearer at the Beijing Games in 2022 after winning three medals — silver in the 5,000, bronze in the 3,000 and gold in team pursuit with Valérie Maltais and Ivanie Blondin.
“I feel like a very different athlete than four years ago, I feel a lot older, a lot more experience, for sure, a lot more nervous too,” she said. “There’s some expectation that I want to perform. I know how much results like that mean to Canada, and so I wanted to bring that home.”
The 30-year-old from Ottawa is known for her patient approach, measured, efficient strides to maintain a consistent speed and conserve energy. Eventually, she reels in fading competitors who’ve lost their breath with a late surge.
