Maltais captures 3000m bronze in final race before Milano Cortina

Milano Cortina medal hopeful Valérie Maltais raced to bronze in what she hopes is a sign of things to come at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Inzell, Germany.

Maltais stormed back from sixth place midway through the race, and eventually passed Kazakhstan’s Nadezhda Morozova in the final lap to reach the podium. She finished with a time of three minutes, 59.92 seconds.

Maltais, in the final World Cup race before the Olympic Games, finished the ISU long-distance season tied for third with Joy Beune of the Netherlands.

Ragne Wiklund of Norway set a personal best and track record with her time of 3:54.74. Beune claimed silver (3:56.96).

Maltais will race in her fifth Olympic Games in Milano Cortina 2026. She will compete in 3000m, as well as the 1500m, mass start, and team pursuit. She finished 12th in the 3000m in Beijing 2022.

The World Cup stop in Inzell, Germany is the fifth and final of the season. Wiklund’s impressive performance put the bow on a dominant Crystal Globe season. She finished 43 points ahead of Canadian Isabelle Weidemann for first place.

Weidemann finished in second in the overall standings, but was held to seventh place in Saturday’s race. Ivanie Blondin finished in tenth place.

In the 1000m race, Béatrice Lamarche earned a sixth place finish.