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Sunday, 21 March 2010 

It’s over one year and the Olympic Games later, but not all that much seems to have changed at the World All-round Championships since the 2009 World All-rounds: Like last year, Martina Sablikova and Sven Kramer were crowned World Champions today in Heerenveen. Moreover, for Kramer it was a record-breaking fourth time in a row. Both World Champions claimed victories in the final two distances of the day: Kramer finished first in the 10k in 12:57.97, Sablikova skated the fastest time in the 5000m: 6:50.98. Earlier today, Kristina Groves finished first in the 1500m (1:56.64).

As said, overall Sablikova finished first, Groves was second, and Ireen Wüst was third. On the men’s side, the gold medal was for Kramer, Jonathan Kuck finished second, and Håvard Bøkko was third.

For video material click here.

For complete results see here.

Saturday, 20 March 2010 

On the second day of the World All-rounds Championships in Heerenveen, the women started their competition with the 500m, in which Yekaterina Shikhova raced to the fastest time: 38.83. Next up was the men’s 1500m, which saw a North-American podium: Jonathan Kuck skated the fastest time (1:45.36), Lucas Makowsky was second in 1:46.15, and Trevor Marsicano finished third in 1:46.70. Overall, Kuck is now first as well, followed by Sven Kramer (+ 4.92 seconds in the 10k tomorrow), and Håvard Bøkko (+ 16.88). In the last distance of the day, the women’s 3000m, Martina Sablikova finished first in 4:03.59. Overall, Ireen Wüst is taking the lead, second is Kristina Groves, and third is Sablikova.

For complete results see here.

Friday, 19 March 2010 

The last official competition of this Olympic season, the World All-round Championships, started today in Heerenveen with two distances for the men: the 500m and the 5000m. In the 500m Konrad Niedzwiedzki skated to the fastest time: 35.68, and Sven Kramer finished first in the 5000m (6:19.63). Overall, Kramer is now taking the lead, second is Jonathan Kuck, and third is Håvard Bøkko. Tomorrow, races will continue with the men’s 1500m, and the women’s competition will start with the 500m, and then the 3000m.

For complete results see here.

Monday, 15 March 2010

This weekend, Jeremy Wotherspoon officially retired from competitive speed skating in Heerenveen, but simultaneously he announced his plans for the near future: Wotherspoon will be taking on the role of head sprint coach at the International Speed Skating Academy that is to open its doors next year in Inzell. Together with Marnix Wieberdink – founder of Sport Navigator.NL – Wotherspoon started this project, that will enable speed skaters from various countries to train together in Inzell. Wotherspoon: “This is a chance for me to give something back to the sport that has been so good for me, and it’s also going to be a big challenge but that’s just another reason to be excited.” Read more on Sport Navigator.NL.

Sunday, 14 March 2010 

On the third and final day of the World Cup Final in Heerenveen, Yekaterina Shikhova finished first in the women’s 1000m in 1:16.25. Overall, Christine Nesbitt finished first. On the men’s side, Shani Davis won today’s 1000m (1:08.89), and finished first in the overall standings for this distance as well. In the Team Pursuit, the Canadian women finished first in 3:02.05, thereby also securing their first place overall, and the Norwegian men finished first in 3:42.77, which earned them the first place overall.

For complete results see here.

Saturday, 13 March 2010 

Like yesterday, there were gold medals for Jenny Wolf and Jan Smeekens in the 500m. Today, Jenny Wolf needed 37.96 to complete the distance, and this victory also secured her first place overall. For Jan Smeekens, today’s gold medal marked his fourth 500m gold World Cup medal in a row, after finishing first yesterday and in both 500m’s at the World Cup in Erfurt last weekend. Today, he finished in 35.05. The overall victory in the men’s 500m was for Tucker Fredricks, Smeekens finished second overall. After her silver medal in the Olympic 1500m, Kristina Groves claimed the gold medal in the same distance today (1:58.15). Overall, she also finished first. And finally, Håvard Bøkko raced to the fastest time in the 5000m (6.20.52), thereby also finishing first in the overall standings.

For complete results see here.

Friday, 12 March 2010 

On the first day of the World Cup Finals in Heerenveen, there were gold medals for Jenny Wolf, Jan Smeekens, Martina Sablikova and Shani Davis. In the first distance today, the women’s 500m, Jenny Wolf skated 38.18, thereby beating her pair Margot Boer, who finished second in 38.22. After victories in both 500m’s last week at the World Cup in Erfurt, Jan Smeekens claimed another gold medal in today’s 500m (34.99). Tomorrow, both the men and the women will skate another 500m, after which the overall medals will be determined. Next up was the women’s 3000m, in which Martina Sablikova raced to the fastest time (4:06.25), thereby securing her overall victory in this distance. And finally, Shani Davis finished first in the 1500m in 1:45.20, which also gained him the first place overall.

For complete results see here.

Saturday, 6 March 2010

The Olympics may be over, but the season isn’t! This weekend, a sprint World Cup is taking place in Erfurt. In the women’s 500m, Jenny Wolf skated the fastest time (38.08), whereas Jan Smeekens claimed his first World Cup gold medal in the men’s 500m: 34.97, the only sub 35 seconder of the day. In the women’s 1000m, Monique Angermüller finished first in 1:16.36, and Shani Davis did what he has been doing all season: finishing first in the 1000m (1:09.29).

For complete results see here.

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Much to everyone’s surprise, Seung-Hoon Lee claimed today’s gold medal in the 10k at the Richmond Olympic Oval, and not Sven Kramer. Yet Lee didn’t skate the fastest time of the day though: after Kramer was told by his coach Gerard Kemkers to change to the inner lane, while he was supposed to go the outer, Kramer got disqualified and found his 12:54.50, which would have been an Olympic record, to be worth absolutely nothing. Lee raced to the second time, which was an Olympic record: 12.58.55 and good for the gold medal. Second was Ivan Skobrev in 13:02.07, and Bob de Jong, gold-medalist in the 10k at the Olympics in Torino, finished third (13:06.73).

For complete results see here.

Sunday, 21 February 2010

Another gold medal for the Netherlands today at the Olympic oval in Richmond when Ireen Wüst finished first in 1:56.89. Kristina Groves was second in 1:57.14, the bronze medal was for Martina Sablikova (1:57.96).

For complete results see here.

Thursday, 18 February 2010

After Kristina Groves’ bronze medal in the 3000m last Sunday, Canada added another speed skating medal when Christine Nesbitt raced to the gold medal in the 1000m today. This gold medal also marked Canada’s third gold medal overall at these Olympics. It was a tight field today. Where Nesbitt needed 1:16.56, Annette Gerritsen finished in 1:16.58, good for a silver medal and a great accomplishment after her fall in the 500m on Tuesday. Laurine van Riessen claimed the bronze medal with her 1:16.72.

For complete results see here.

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

It was a great day for US speed skating at the Olympic oval today with the gold medal for Shani Davis (1:08.94) and the bronze for Chad Hedrick (1:09.32). Second was Monday’s gold-medalist in the 500m Tae-Bum Mo in 1:09.12.

For complete results see here.

Monday, 15 February 2010

An all-Asian podium for the men’s 500m at the Richmond Olympic Oval today. After two 500m’s and three zamboni’s that were all more or less failing, Tae-Bum Mo was crowned Olympic champion. The failing zamboni’s caused 1.5 hours delay, and it actually came close to a postponement of the races until tomorrow.

In the first 500m Mika Poutala raced to the fastest time: 34.86. Second was Tae-Bum Mo (34.92) and Joji Kato finished third in a time of 34.93. In the second race, Tae-Bum Mo finished first in a time of 34.91. Keiichiro Nagashima raced to the second time (34.88) and Joji Kato took another third place: 35.10.

Overall, the gold medal was for Tae-Bum Mo, Keiichiro took the silver medal, and Joji Kato claimed the bronze.

For complete results see here.

Sunday, 14 February 2010

The first Olympic gold medal on the women's side was won today by Martina Sablikova in the 3000m. She needed 4:02.53 to complete the distance. Stephanie Beckert came in second, in a time of 4:04.62. and Kristina Groves claimed the Olympic bronze medal (4:04.84).

For complete results see here.