Sochi, Feb 17 (IANS) The Dutch were unstoppable on the speed skating rink in Adler Arena in the women’s 1,500 metres short track category at the Winter Games here.
The Dutch also achieved their third podium sweep here Sunday after their feats in men’s 500m and 5,000m. This is the first time that Dutch women have swept the podium in the Winter Games, reports Xinhua.
Jorien ter Mors, fourth in 1,500m short track final Saturday, powered to an Olympic record time of one minute, 53.51 seconds to win the gold. Sochi 3,000m winner and defending champion Ireen Wust had to settle for silver in 1:54.09 and Lotte van Beek took bronze in 1:54.54.
The Netherlands not only filled the podium for the third time but also took fourth place with Marrit Leenstra, posting a time of 1:56.40.
“I’m not used to these kind of situations. In short track, you immediately know if you have won. Now I had to wait and it was very nerve-racking,” said the 24-year-old Mors, who became the first Dutch woman to compete in two different sports at a single edition of the Winter Olympics.
“I never expected to win gold here but I had a very good race. Technically it was good, I kept pace, skated in a compact position, it was just about keeping skating. At the finish line I looked up and I was first,” she said.
Wust admitted she did compete at her full strength.
“I tried to be satisfied because Jorien was just the best today. My race was 90 percent and I needed 100 percent to win the gold,” she said after collecting the sixth medal from three Olympics.
“I didn’t skate badly but it wasn’t very good either. I was looking too much for a good time, pushing too hard. I didn’t really get into a flow.”
Now with five golds, five silvers and six bronzes, the Netherlands set a new Olympic record for most medals for any country in any sport in a specific edition of the Games. Austria had 14 in alpine skiing in Torino 2006.
The 1,500m, dubbed “king of races”, is arguably speed skating’s most difficult event because it requires a combination of power and stamina.