Winnipeg speed skater takes gold in 2023 Canada Games

Sofia Bieber won gold in the women's 1,000m race on Feb. 24, 2023, at the 2023 Canada Games in Prince Edward Island. (Supplied: Team Manitoba)

A 17-year-old Winnipeg speed skater has earned Manitoba its second and third gold medal at the 2023 Canada Games in Prince Edward Island.

On Friday morning, Sofia Bieber won gold in the women's 1,000m race, coming in with a final time of 1:28.14. Bieber beat Quebec skater Cloé Jelonek who finished with a final time of 1:29.36, and Alberta skater Maya Lueders who had a final time of 1:30.10.

"Racing in today's conditions, were a little snowy, but I just had to stay strong and push through," Bieber said in a news release from Team Manitoba.

She followed that up with another gold medal, this time in the Women's Mass Start.

"This race was a very unexpected win for me, due to the fact I have not had much success in the mass start race before," she said. "I just had so much adrenaline going today during that race, just because it was so cold and it's the last race of our competition, and I just really gave it all that I had."

Team Manitoba now has three gold medals at the games this year – the first of which was also claimed by Bieber in the women's 500m race. In addition to the gold medals, Bieber has brought home two silver medals in the 1500m race and the women's team pursuit.

This brings Manitoba's medal count to six, which includes a silver medal in the women's table tennis doubles earlier this week by 14-year-old Victoria Lee and 15-year-old Grace Qi.

The 2023 Canada Games will continue to March 5.