Ted-Jan Bloemen Skates Final Olympic Race in Milano-Cortina
Canadian long-track speedskating icon Ted-Jan Bloemen has officially concluded his Olympic career at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The 39-year-old athlete from Calgary competed in his last race on Friday, marking the end of an illustrious chapter in his sporting life.
A Challenging Final Performance
Bloemen entered the 10,000-meter event with determination and effort, but faced stiff competition from younger rivals. Czech skater Metodej Jilek, who is twenty years Bloemen's junior, claimed the gold medal in the race. Polish athlete Vladimir Semirunniy, aged 23, secured silver, while Dutch skater Jorrit Bergsma, at 40 the oldest competitor on the ice, took bronze.
The Canadian finished in ninth position. After crossing the finish line, Bloemen appeared serene yet emotional about the conclusion of his Olympic journey. "This is coming too soon. It's a lot to process, you know?" he reflected. "This was my life's work. And it's over now."
A Distinguished Career
Dutch-born Bloemen moved to Canada and built an exceptional speedskating career that reached its peak at the 2018 Winter Olympics. There, he ended Canada's 86-year medal drought in men's long-distance speedskating by winning gold in the 10,000-meter and silver in the 5,000-meter events.
Despite recent competitive challenges, Bloemen described his final season as "really beautiful." Just last November, he earned a bronze medal at the World Cup in Calgary, where he resides with his wife and two young children. "I think that was the best race I've ever raced," he said of that performance. "So, the peak performance that was possible with my body, I reached it there and I was planning to repeat it or even top it a little bit maybe here in Milan."
The Physical Reality of Competition
During his final Olympic race, Bloemen fought through all 25 laps at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, but acknowledged the limitations of his 39-year-old body. "All I could do was hang on for dear life and I did. I never showed a moment of weakness," he stated. "I'm really proud that I at least showed everything that I had today."
He added, "Unfortunately, we're dealing with a human body, a 39-year-old human body and it does not always respond the way you think it does."
Farewell to Olympic Competition
After completing his race, Bloemen took an additional, slower lap around the rink to acknowledge the crowd, blow kisses, and absorb his final moments as an Olympic athlete. "I felt like I had to say goodbye," he explained.
Looking Toward the Future
With his elite athletic career concluded, Bloemen expressed excitement about spending more quality time with his family. He acknowledged that years of intensive training and competition had placed "strain" on his relationships with his wife Marlinde, six-year-old daughter Fiene, and three-year-old son Thias.
"I'm looking forward to finding out what life is going to be like not being an athlete," Bloemen shared.
However, he doesn't plan to leave speedskating completely. Bloemen has been preparing for several years to transition into coaching, studying various training methodologies and approaches to working with different athletes. He expressed interest in mentoring the next generation of skaters as he begins this new chapter beyond competition.
