CALGARY — Valerie Maltais and Ivanie Blondin decided they were stronger together.
Ranked first and second in the world respectively in women's mass start, Maltais and Blondin give Canada a one-two punch in speedskating's unpredictable cat-and-mouse event.
The two women lead 19 Canadian skaters into the four-day world single distance championships opening Thursday at Calgary's Olympic Oval, where the best in the world will compete in 12 individual races and four team events.
Calgary hosts the world single distance championship for the first time in a quarter-century, although the Olympic Oval has been the site of the world sprint championship (2017) and world all-around championship four times between 1992 and 2015.
Relatively new to a tradition-bound sport, mass start brings short track's jockeying and jostling for position to a 16-lap, head-to-head race that includes intermediate sprints for points.
Ottawa's Blondin is a two-time world champion and claimed an Olympic silver medal in Beijing in 2022.
A teamwork dynamic emerged in mass start. One skater works in service of another — like cycling's domestique — to run interference, chase down breakaways and provide a body to draft behind.
Maltais of Saguenay, Que., performed that service for Blondin in Beijing, but chose to work alone during the 2022-23 season. Maltais proposed a more equal partnership last year.
"This season is the first year that we've truly worked together," Maltais said. "Before, I was working for Ivanie, and after the Games, each of us were doing their own thing. I wasn't having fun doing that.
"At the end of the season last year … I said 'my wish is for us to work together. Not me working for you or you working for me. But we work together to beat the Dutch. I believe we can do that. And if we don't do that, I don't think I want to do any mass start anymore. I'm not having fun going on my own against the other girls.
"We're both strong skaters, we're smart and we're agile on the ice. I was like 'we can work together.' I think we proved that this season. For most of the races, it worked out."
Both 33-year-old women come from short-track backgrounds. The duo ranked in the top four in three of six races this season.
Blondin scored a pair of World Cup victories and was runner-up twice, but was disqualified from a December race in Norway.
Maltais landed in the top six in five races, including three podiums, to take the season title.
Blondin finishing first and Maltais third in Salt Lake City was an example of how a partnership could put both in medal contention for the final sprint when it's every woman for herself.
They worked together to position themselves behind Dutchwomen Marijke Groenewoud and Irene Schouten heading into the bell lap.
Blondin says sharing the tactics load benefits both of them. She and Maltais discuss plans for a mass start's various scenarios beforehand.
"The other girls are looking at us thinking 'shoot, they're working together,"" Blondin said. "I wasn't opposed to it whatsoever. I was looking forward to it because there had been years we were racing and not working together and it was just a huge disadvantage.
"All the other teams, the Dutch girls especially, they go in the race and they don't care who is on the podium at the end of the race as long as there's one. They work together so flawlessly well."
Maltais and Blondin race the women's 3,000 to open the world championship Thursday. Canada is a podium contender in men's and women's team sprint as is Calgary's Ted-Jan Bloemen in the men's 5k that day.
Olympic champions Maltais, Blondin and Ottawa's Isabelle Weidemann will attempt defence of their world title in women's team pursuit Friday, when sprinter Laurent Dubreuil of Levis, Que., and American Jordan Stolz renew their rivalry in the men's 500 metres.
Mass starts and the men's and women's 1,000 metres are Saturday. Sunday's men's and women's 1,500 metres, women's 5k and men's 10k conclude the event.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2024.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
