Canada Powers Past USA in Women’s Team Pursuit Semifinal at Milano Cortina 2026
Canada delivered an impressive performance to defeat the United States in the Women’s Team Pursuit Semifinal 1 at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, booking its place in the gold-medal race.
Canada continued its strong showing in Olympic speed skating with a commanding victory over the United States in the Women’s Team Pursuit Semifinal 1 at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium on February 17, 2026.
The Canadian trio of Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann produced a disciplined and powerful race, crossing the finish line in 2 minutes, 55.92 seconds.
Their performance proved too strong for the United States team of Giorgia Birkeland, Brittany Bowe and Mia Manganello, which completed the race in 3:00.14.
Canada Controls the Semifinal
Canada entered the semifinal as one of the strongest teams in the competition after recording the fastest time in the earlier qualification round.
Against the United States, the Canadians once again demonstrated why they were among the leading medal contenders.
Team pursuit requires much more than individual speed. Skaters must work together, maintain an efficient formation and carefully manage their energy over the six-lap race. Canada displayed that coordination throughout the semifinal, keeping a strong rhythm and maintaining its advantage over the American team.
The Canadian skaters stopped the clock more than four seconds ahead of the United States, securing an important victory and advancing to the race for the Olympic gold medal.
Experienced Canadian Trio Delivers
Blondin, Maltais and Weidemann brought significant Olympic experience into the event.
The trio had already established itself as one of the world's leading team pursuit combinations, and their semifinal performance in Milan underlined their ability to produce under pressure on the Olympic stage.
Canada had also entered Milano Cortina 2026 as the defending Olympic champion in the event after winning gold at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.
The semifinal victory kept alive the country's hopes of successfully defending that title.
USA Falls Short of Gold-Medal Race
For the United States, the semifinal proved difficult as Canada gradually established control of the contest.
Despite the experience of Brittany Bowe and a determined effort from the American trio, the United States was unable to match Canada's pace.
The Americans finished with a time of 3:00.14, 4.22 seconds behind Canada.
Although the defeat ended the United States' hopes of reaching the gold-medal final, the team remained in contention through the classification races.
Canada Moves One Step Closer to Olympic Glory
The victory sent Canada into the Final A, where the team would compete for the Olympic title.
Canada ultimately carried that momentum into the final, defeating the Netherlands with a time of 2:55.81 to successfully defend its Olympic crown.
The Netherlands claimed silver, while Japan secured the bronze medal.
For Blondin, Maltais and Weidemann, the successful campaign confirmed Canada's status as a dominant force in women's team pursuit speed skating and delivered another memorable Olympic moment at Milano Cortina 2026.