Blondin wins silver, Dubreuil bronze at speed skating worlds

Canada's Ivanie Blondin and Laurent Dubreuil raced to the medal podium at the speedskating world single distance championships Sunday.

Blondin, a 24-year-old from Ottawa, captured a silver in the mass start race, to add to the five World Cup medals — two gold, two silver, and a bronze — she's already won in that discipline this season.

"I would have preferred the gold medal, but finishing first at this stage of my career remains a big accomplishment for me, so I'm super pumped with second place," Blondin said. "I'm ecstatic with the result, which follows a fantastic season."

Irene Schouten of the Netherlands won the women's race in 8:38.23, just 0.15 ahead of Blondin. Dutch skater Mariska Huisman was third. It was the first time the mass-start races had been included in a world championship program.

Dubreuil, a 22-year-old from Levis, Que., won bronze in the men's 500 metres.

"There's a lot of excitement and adrenalin in a competition like this one," Dubreuil said. "But I was able to manage my emotions, to channel my strength and technique in the right way on the ice, and it led to the result I was hoping for."

Pavel Kulizhnikov of Russia won the men's 500, finishing first in both heats, to cap a dominant year in the sprints. Dutchman Michel Mulder was second.

Arjan Stroetinga won the men's mass start race, ahead of Fabio Francolini of Italy and Alexis Contin of France.

American Brittany Bowe won her second title of the event, taking gold in the 1,500 metres to add to her victory Friday in the 1,000.

Defending champion Ireen Wust of the Netherlands was second and Bowe's American teammate Heather Richardson, the 500-metre champion, finished third.