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Maltais adds to hardware with mass start win at speedskating nationals

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Valérie Maltais earned her third gold medal at the Canadian long-track speedskating championships on Sunday. Ragne Wiklund of Norway, right, competes against Valerie Maltais of Canada, left, to win the women's 3,000 meters race of the Speedskating Single Distance World Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands, Thursday, March 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Peter Dejong

CALGARY — Valérie Maltais earned her third gold medal at the Canadian long-track speedskating championships on Sunday.

Maltais won the women's mass start crown for a second consecutive year on the final day of competition at the Olympic Oval.

The 33-year-old has also been victorious in the 3,000 metres and 1,500, while earning silver in the 5,000 earlier in the championships.

Toronto's Jordan Belchos, meanwhile, earned the men's title in the mass start.

Belchos broke away from the pack with two laps remaining and held on for the victory, crossing the line in seven minutes and 40.46 seconds.

Toronto's Hayden Mayeur narrowly claimed silver (7:41.11) over Antoine Gelinas-Beaulieu (7:41.14) of Sherbrooke, Que., who settled for bronze.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2023.

The Canadian Press

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