Canadian Olympic speed skater hilariously describes stressful wait for bronze
Valerie Maltais has been to five Olympic Games, and Milano Cortina 2026 is likely her last.
The 35-year-old Canadian competed in short track speed skating at the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Winter Olympics, before switching to long track in 2022.
A native of Saguenay, Quebec, Maltais had won Olympic medals in each discipline, but as part of a team, not an individual.
Until Saturday, when she won bronze in the women’s 3,000 metres.
Unlike short track, which involves jockeying for positioning with skaters bumping into each other, long track is a time trial.
Maltais skated in the third-last pair, meaning she had to sit and watch four more skaters try to beat her time. She was in second place before the four remaining skaters took to the ice, and they were among the favourites to land a medal.
So what was she thinking in that moment?
“I was like, f*ck, I’m gonna be fourth here,” Maltais said to a group of Canadian reporters, causing us to burst out laughing.
Hey, it’s honest.
“I was sitting there, and I was like, ‘I’m gonna be four or five.’ I just didn’t know… Izzy and I have been challenging each other all season. So it was stressful.”
The moment it sunk in š„¹#MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/rYEqZjQ7TV
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 7, 2026
“Izzy” is Isabelle Weidemann, her Canadian teammate who threatened to push her off the podium as one of the final two competitors. The 30-year-old Ottawa native won gold, silver, and bronze at Beijing 2022.
Weidemann must have been disappointed not to land on the podium, but when speaking with reporters, the joy she had for her teammate overshadowed anything remotely negative.
“I’m so stoked. I cried [tears of joy] on the infield,” sad Weidemann. “We’ve been training together for so long. We’ve been part of the team pursuit for over eight years. She’s just gotten so good over the last few years. To watch her kind of put that all in on the right day is really amazing.”
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Four years earlier, it was Maltais shedding a joyful tear for Weidemann, who claimed bronze in this event.
“Four years ago [Isabelle] won her first medal, and I was so happy for her,” said Maltais. “She’s amazing, she’s a strong competitor, but at the same time, we’re able to share and [have an] open heart with each other. I think we have a lot of respect for each other.”
Maltais and Weidemann, along with teammate Ivanie Blondin, won gold together in team pursuit four years ago. Maltais credits them for lifting her to new heights in the individual competition.
“I got really welcomed in Calgary. I met teammates like Ivanie and Isabelle. These are the two girls that I skated with… I learned so much as an individual skater, it allowed me to skate with one of the best.
“And so I learned a lot, and I guess I learned quick too.
“I’m a good listener.”
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