What to know
- Team Canada won its first Olympic medal in women’s speed skating.
- Valérie Maltais is a Quebec-born speed skater who made her Olympic debut in 2010.
- This is Maltais’ first individual Olympic medal.
Across the country and abroad, Canadians are celebrating the country’s first medal at this year’s winter games.
🥉 Two medals in the same pair? What an event! 🤯
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 7, 2026
Valerie MALTAIS snatches up that #Bronze medal in the women's speed skating 3000m 👏 @isuspeedskating | @TeamCanada | #Samsung | #OpenAlwaysWins | #MedalAlert pic.twitter.com/cvHf3tfMx3
Canada’s first 2026 Olympic medal comes from speed skater Valérie Maltais. This is the Quebec native’s third Olympic medal overall.
Canadians react to the country’s first medal
Valérie Maltais is off to a strong start ✨
— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) February 7, 2026
Valérie's FIRST INDIVIDUAL Olympic medal is Team Canada’s first medal of Milano Cortina 2026 ❤️
She captured bronze in the women’s 3000 m long track speed skating! 🥉 pic.twitter.com/16KfNhXsQA
“Great start for us, and fantastic for her! Bravo Valerie!” an X user wrote.
The 35-year-old first made her Olympic debut 16 years ago in 2010 at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Four years later in 2014, she secured a silver in the 3000m relay in Sochi, followed by a Gold in team short track in 2022 when the games were hosted by Beijing.
What an incredible moment! 16 years of dedication and perseverance – Valérie truly embodies the Canadian spirit. So proud to see her finally get that well-deserved medal! 🇨🇦🥉
— Cyrus C (@thisiscyrusc) February 7, 2026
“It’s during these sporting moments that we get goosebumps rooting for our country’s men and women,” a Reddit user wrote. “We’ll disagree how, but we just want what we believe to be best for Canada.”
Maltais came just .39 seconds shy of Silver
“I felt confident,” Maltais told CBC Sports after the victory. “I feel not surprised but I feel relief and really emotional right now.”
Maltais finished 7.5 laps of the stadium in 3 minutes 56.93 seconds. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund secured the silver crossing the finish line just .39 seconds ahead of Matlais, and Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida broke the record, taking home the gold.
