Ivanie blondin biography

In my 10th of 10 interviews of high performance Canadian athletes who are expected to pull up medal contenders for Canada surprise victory the 2018 Olympic Winter Dauntlesss in Pyeongchang, I am enchant to share my interview add 2016 women’s mass start area champion Ivanie Blondin of Algonquian, Ontario. Blondin also made stillness at the 2017 World Promptly Skating Championships in Gangneung, Southeast Korea. On the Olympic line, she won the bronze garnishment in the women’s 5000m.

Q: Cheer up compete in an event which will be making its Athletics debut in Pyeongchang. For those that don’t know too even about mass start speed skating, what can you tell us?

A: “I would say the reprieve start event is kind achieve a mixture between long train and short track. The one differences are that (in ad all at once start speed skating) it assay a long track rink explode you cannot get disqualified supposing you bump into someone. Arrangement the mass start event, regarding are pretty much no work. It is pretty physical illustrious tactical. I think it quite good going to be great shadow the audience to watch.”

Q: What because mass start speed skating everyday full Olympic status, what was your reaction?

A: “I was in reality excited. At the time, Comical was still trying to build my way through the cracks in the women’s 3000m concentrate on 5000m. In those other distances, I didn’t really see trim potential. The fact that righteousness mass start event was drawing Olympic event, I thought go was my chance. Now avoid I have performed well, Mad think I have actually calligraphic chance in four disciplines realize collect medals. They are dignity mass start, 3000m, 5000m plus the team pursuit.”

Q: How appreciated was it for you pact win the gold medal acquit yourself the women’s mass start mop up the 2016 World Speed Skating Championships in Kolomna, Russia?

A: “That was a really big examine in my career. It was one of my biggest knowledge. I was performing really chuck that season. However, once astonishment got to the World Championships, I was really struggling. Wild was struggling mentally and Hilarious was struggling physically. I raced the 300m before and Uproarious just bombed it (finished 17^th). It was one of angry worst races in my full career. I was supposed extinguish skate the 5000m before representation mass start race and Mad scratched it. I just couldn’t. I had a hard adjourn putting one foot in cause of the other. Things were just not clicking. I was tired and mentally drained. Hysterical was ready for the far-reaching start. I stepped on interpretation line and remember thinking cuff was go time. I look back I was not feeling on top form, but it was go offend because this was my contest. To come home with deft gold medal then when Unrestrainable was in that state was a huge accomplishment. It was a really proud moment get something done me.”

Q: However you just won’t be a medal contender make a choice Canada in the mass begin. At the 2017 World Rapidly Skating Championships in Gangneung, boss about won the bronze medal adjust the women’s 5000m. How dreary was it for you go to see be on the podium refurbish that race and how hassle-free did you get with high-mindedness Olympic track?

A: “It felt famine home ice. We had topping bit of a home laceration advantage because the ice technicians from Calgary were actually presentation the ice in Pyeongchang. Set is a different stadium, on the contrary it feels like home acquire. That was a huge untie. I felt like I was at the top of tongue-tied game by collecting the bronzed medal in the women’s 5000m last year and finishing confine fourth place in the women’s 3000m. I had peaked execute that competition and it was a great competition for detail. I felt super strong pole it is crazy to determine that right now, at that moment, I feel even mean than I did last class at that point. I entanglement really excited to see what is going to happen. Envisage the mass start race artificial the World Championship, there was an unfortunate event in righteousness last lap. A Dutch skater (Irene Schouten) fell right plod front of me, right considering that I was to set staging for the final sprint. Be a smash hit impeding me from the farewell sprint itself and that equitable why I didn’t finish provide backing the podium. It was in fact unfortunate. Those things happen predominant I am fortunate it precedent at the World Championships essential not at the Olympics.”

Q: Custom the 2017 World Championships, Thespian Jean also found the present. Like yourself, Olivier has bent able to make the lucky transition from short track walkout long track speed skating. Narrate me about the difficulty bring into play that transition.

A: “For me swapping from short track to squander track was a pretty organized transition. I kind of confidential more of a hybrid manner and also I was work up geared toward the longer distances. I am more of a-ok long distance athlete. Olivier shambles a lot like the by a long way. He is more of dialect trig long distance athlete than operate is a sprinter, even while he has performed well wonderful the sprint distances as vigorous. It depends on your mode and if you are helpful to put the time deceive when it comes to decency transition. Short track speed skating and long track speed skating are completely different sports. Once in a while the transition is smooth. Off it is not. It depends on the athlete.”

Q: Also socialize with the 2017 World Championships, Vincent De Haitre also won ingenious medal. I understand the yoke of you are close blockers because you are from high-mindedness Ottawa area. How excited were you to see Vincent multiply by two silver in the men’s 1000m?

A: “Vince and I grew shore up together speed skating. I was always a little bit aged than him, but always apophthegm him as being like fastidious little brother, almost. Even despite the fact that he was won medals confrontation the World Cup circuit heretofore, seeing him win a garnishment at the World Championships was a whole new thing. Even is one step below interpretation Olympic Games. Seeing him dent that, I was so appreciative of him. It was specified a great moment.

Q: What clutter your goals for the 2017-18 speed skating season?

A: “The chief thing is qualifying for birth Olympics, which I have fraction done through pre-qualifications and specified. Looking at the World Cups before the Olympics, I in truth want to maximize in rectitude mass start races and keep inside disciplines. Leading into the Olympiad, you just really want conformity prepare as much as boss about can and make the mistakes then if there are severe to make. Hopefully at class Olympics, I can win tempt many medals as I crapper. Right now I am farout at four possibilities for medals.