KIDWCKED
02-14-2010, 02:37 PM
c\p from espn
By Danny Celia, CTVOlympics.ca Posted Saturday, February 13, 2010 5:30 PM ET
Dutch favorite Sven Kramer captured the gold medal in the 5,000-meter event, as the Olympic Winter Games long track speed skating opened at the Richmond Oval on Saturday.
Kramer's time of 6:14.60 also set an Olympic record, beating the previous mark of 6:14.66 set by Jochem Uyytdehaage of the Netherlands in Salt Lake City.
Kramer also holds the world record-holder in the 5,000m and is a three-time reigning world champion in this distance, as well as the silver medal winner from the 2006 Turin Games.
Korea's Seung-Hoon Lee won the silver medal with a time of 6:16.95, while Russia's Ivan Skobrev took the bronze with a time of 6:16.95.
Canadian's Lucas Makowsky and Denny Morrison didn't find themselves on the podium on this day, Makowsky placing 13th with a time of 6:28.71 and Morrison finished in 18th with a time of 6:33.77.
Not a specialist in the 5,000-meter distance, Morrison was using the race as a tool to shake off nerves and get a feel of the ice and the crowd.
"I just wanted to show the crowd how I can skate," the Fort St. John, B.C. native said following his race. "I never expected to win [or] even finish in the top 10. I just wanted to use this to prepare for the 1,000 and 1,500 meters."
Regina's Makowsky is the youngest skater on the Canadian squad and had been racing this event all year on the World Cup circuit.
"I just tried not to think about these as the Olympics," Makowsky said. "I just wanted to think of it as another race. It worked in the past, so that's all I did."
American Shani Davis, skating against Kramer in the 11th pair, finished with a time of 6:28.44 to place 12th in the standings, while teammate and defending Olympic Champion Chad Hedrick skated against Norway's Havard Bokko in the final pairing and placed 11th.
Bokko just missed the podium, finishing in fourth place with a time of 6:18.80.
By Danny Celia, CTVOlympics.ca Posted Saturday, February 13, 2010 5:30 PM ET
Dutch favorite Sven Kramer captured the gold medal in the 5,000-meter event, as the Olympic Winter Games long track speed skating opened at the Richmond Oval on Saturday.
Kramer's time of 6:14.60 also set an Olympic record, beating the previous mark of 6:14.66 set by Jochem Uyytdehaage of the Netherlands in Salt Lake City.
Kramer also holds the world record-holder in the 5,000m and is a three-time reigning world champion in this distance, as well as the silver medal winner from the 2006 Turin Games.
Korea's Seung-Hoon Lee won the silver medal with a time of 6:16.95, while Russia's Ivan Skobrev took the bronze with a time of 6:16.95.
Canadian's Lucas Makowsky and Denny Morrison didn't find themselves on the podium on this day, Makowsky placing 13th with a time of 6:28.71 and Morrison finished in 18th with a time of 6:33.77.
Not a specialist in the 5,000-meter distance, Morrison was using the race as a tool to shake off nerves and get a feel of the ice and the crowd.
"I just wanted to show the crowd how I can skate," the Fort St. John, B.C. native said following his race. "I never expected to win [or] even finish in the top 10. I just wanted to use this to prepare for the 1,000 and 1,500 meters."
Regina's Makowsky is the youngest skater on the Canadian squad and had been racing this event all year on the World Cup circuit.
"I just tried not to think about these as the Olympics," Makowsky said. "I just wanted to think of it as another race. It worked in the past, so that's all I did."
American Shani Davis, skating against Kramer in the 11th pair, finished with a time of 6:28.44 to place 12th in the standings, while teammate and defending Olympic Champion Chad Hedrick skated against Norway's Havard Bokko in the final pairing and placed 11th.
Bokko just missed the podium, finishing in fourth place with a time of 6:18.80.