Manitoba wins first gold at Canada Winter Games

Sofia Bieber skating at the Canada Winter Games. She won a gold in the 500 metre long track speeding skating event. Feb. 22, 2023. (Source: Sport Manitoba)

The ice is the place to be for Manitoba athletes so far at the Canada Winter Games.

Two more medals have been added to the province's total, both of which happened in long-track speed skating.

The first medal of the day was also Manitoba's first gold of the games. Sofia Bieber, who is from Winnipeg, captured gold in the 500 metre race Wednesday. She had previously won a silver in the 1500 metre on Tuesday.

"I felt really fast coming off the line, and I just wanted to carry that speed throughout the entire race. I definitely feel that I've carried my momentum into the second day here at Canada Games," Bieber said in a news release.

Bieber wasn't done either, as she was part of the women's team pursuit that grabbed a silver medal Wednesday afternoon.

The team consists of Bieber, Robyn Salie, 19 from Winnipeg, Lindsay Smart, 16 from Winnipeg, and Skylar Van Horne, 16 from Winnipeg.

From left to right - Robyn Salie, Lindsay Smart, Sofia Bieber and Skylar Van Horne celebrated their silver medal in the Women's Team Pursuit at the Canada Winter Games. Feb. 22, 2023. (Source: Sport Manitoba)

"The team's strategy – just trying to stay together, and just pushing each other and skating as efficiently as possible," said Smart in a news release.

"The team medal, it really means a lot to us because it just shows all the hard work we put in together as a team," said Bieber.

Manitoba now has four medals so far through the games.