Ponoka’s Maddison Pearman and her Team Canada group were crowned world champions on their home track Thursday.
Pearman, 28, along with Carolina Hiller and Ivanie Blondin won gold in the Team Sprint on the opening day of the ISU World Speed Skating Championships in Calgary at the Olympic Oval.
It was Pearman’s first career World Championship medal.
It was also a redemption of sorts after a disastrous fall during the final World Cup of the season two weeks ago in Quebec City. Their time Thursday of 1:25.14 placed them ahead of the United States (1:26.04) and Poland (1:26.63).
It was Canada’s second consecutive World Championship title in both the men’s and women’s Team Sprint, as they both grabbed the top spot last season in Heerenveen.
“We were able to put together a perfect race and it feels great. Today, I just powered off the start,” said Hiller in a Speed Skating Canada press release.
“I was looking for our coach Gregor [Jelonek] in the corner and I heard him say that we were good and close together. Maddison and Ivanie then had an incredible slingshot during the last lap to bring it home. Being on home ice, with our friends and families here, it feels surreal. It’s huge to kick off the World Championships with a podium.”