The athlete from Ottawa gave Canada its first Olympic medal, bronze in the 3000 meters. She became the first Canadian to win a double medal in Beijing five days later with a silver in the 5,000 metres.
The 26-year-old skater wrapped up her second games with a golden buzz in the team’s quest, along with Evanni Blondin and Valerie Maltes. It all came to the last corner. The race, which had been tight until then, turned in the Canadians’ favor after a Japanese skater went down.
Weidemann, Blondin and Maltais have been preparing for this event for a long time, without neglecting any details. To motivate themselves even more, they made gold certificates, valid until these games, which they kept in their wallets.
It is an honor to carry the Canadian flag at the closing ceremony. It’s an insane result for a truly extraordinary week. “I am very proud to be a member of this team,” Isabelle Weidmann said. I don’t know how many times I’ve shared the joy this week, but also the sadness of others. It was great to see everyone put in their best performance.
” We may have been away from our families and friends back home, but we thank you all for encouraging us from across the country. We have felt such support and I am so proud to be a part of this inspiration and to be part of the team that helped bring happiness back to Canada. »
One of the highlights for me at the Games, said Catriona Le Mai, was asking Isabel if she would be willing to carry the flag at the closing ceremony and represent the 215 athletes who proudly carried a maple leaf in Beijing. . Not only has she put up great performances on the ice, but she’s an amazing teammate with her support and positive attitude before, during and after the competition.
“Our flag bearer has been a shining star at these Games both on and off the ice,” Canadian Olympic Committee President Tricia Smith added. Isabel’s accomplishments, particularly with her teammates at the Women’s Team follow-up event, reflect the stories of many members of this team and the challenges they have overcome.
The Canadian flag carrier at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, short track speed skater Kim Putin, also won three medals during her two Olympic weeks.
Stephen Dubois, in the short track, also won three medals in Beijing (gold in the relay, silver in the 1500m and bronze in the 500m), but these were not held by the Canadian Olympic Committee (Oral contraceptives) as a standard holder.
Canada had two flag bearers at the opening ceremony: short-track skater Charles Hamlin and hockey player Mary Philip Boleyn. Each of them added a gold medal to their collection.