MILAN, Italy — Valérie Maltais has etched her name into the pantheon of Canadian sporting legends, securing her third medal of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with a bronze-medal performance in the women’s 1,500-metre long-track speed skating event on Friday.
The 35-year-old from La Baie, Quebec, stopped the clock at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium to claim her second individual bronze of these Games. This latest achievement follows an extraordinary week where Maltais has become the face of Canadian resilience on the ice.
A Historic Triple in Milan
Maltais’ podium finish in the 1,500m completes a remarkable hat-trick at the 2026 Games:
- Gold: Women’s Team Pursuit (alongside Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann)
- Bronze: Women’s 3,000-metre
- Bronze: Women’s 1,500-metre
The gold medal in the team pursuit, won on 17 February 2026, was a successful title defence for the “incroyable trio” that first captured gold in Beijing 2022. By defeating the Netherlands in a high-stakes final, Maltais and her teammates secured Canada’s third gold medal of these Olympics.
The “Rare Exploit” Continues
Already recognized as one of the few athletes globally to win Olympic medals in both short-track and long-track speed skating, Maltais has now extended her career total to five Olympic medals. Her journey began in short-track, where she earned a silver medal in the 3,000m relay at Sochi 2014, before making the successful transition to the long-track oval.
At 35, Maltais is being hailed as an inspiration for the next generation of skaters. “She is making the youth dream,” noted training partners in Quebec City following her 3,000m bronze, which served as Canada’s first medal of the 2026 Games.
National Impact
As of 20 February 2026, Maltais’ bronze in the 1,500m represents Canada’s 16th medal of the Milano Cortina Games. Her performance has sparked discussions regarding the longevity of Canadian athletes and the necessity for continued high-performance funding, as she continues to outpace younger competitors on the world stage.
With the 1,500m concluded, Maltais solidifies her status as the most decorated Canadian athlete of these Games to date, proving that her “summer of dreams”—which included her marriage in 2024 and training with Italian legend Arianna Fontana—laid the perfect foundation for Olympic glory.