Blondin covers the long, short of it
Gloucester skater will be first junior woman to represent Canada at both worlds
By Martin Cleary, The Ottawa CitizenFebruary 4, 2009 
Photograph by: Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen
Dedicated short-track speed skater Ivanie Blondin went to her first long-track speed skating meet in almost six years on the weekend to have some fun.
"It was really just for fun. After the second World Cup short-track trials, I was talking with Guillaume and he said he was going to try out for the team. I thought, 'I should try out, too.' I was hesitant because I hadn't done long-track since I was age 12."
The 18-year-old followed her gut feeling, found a cheap flight to Vancouver, and got a hotel room.
Blondin was hoping to finish in the top five overall at the national junior long track championship, but she had some hurdles in front of her.
Autres nouvelles : Blondin turns her speed skating fortunes
Orléans native wins relay silver, qualifies for national development team
Dan Plouffe - East Ottawa - 4 février 2009
What a difference a year can make. At this time in 2008, Orléans speed skater Ivanie Blondin wasn’t a part of the Canadian team for the World Junior championships – a competition she had attended twice before, including the first time as a 14-year-old.
Blondin to try out for Canadian junior long track team
Dan Plouffe - Ottawa Citizen - January 23, 2009
Orléans native Ivanie Blondin is attempting to make the most of her final season as a junior-aged speed skater
Ivanie Blondin was back home for an evening training session at the Brewer Park outdoor long track oval last night. The short track specialist will be trying out for the Canadian junior long track team in Vancouver next weekend. Photo by Dan PlouffeBevy of east end athletes honoured at Ottawa Sports Awards banquet
Ivanie Blondin picked up an award for the second year in a row in short track speed skating, largely due to her third place finish at the Canadian Junior Championships in November which earned her a spot on the World Junior team.
She placed eighth overall at the World Junior Championships in Sherbrooke two weeks ago and helped pace Team Canada to a silver medal performance in the women's 3,000 metre relay.
Blondin burst on to the national short track speed skating scene in 2004 when she became the youngest woman to make the World Junior team. Two years later she became the youngest person to make the national senior team and competed in two Word Cup events as a 16-year-old.
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