It was no surprise that a world record would be set on the fast track of Salt Lake City at the start of the Olympic season. But it was the fact that 29-year-old Frenchman Timothy Loubineaud did that in the five kilometers and almost broke the six-minute barrier.
With his time of 6.00.23 he improved the old world record of the Swede Nils van der Poel by more than a second. His acceleration halfway through the race with three laps under 28 seconds seemed to start too early, but he then managed to increase his schedule very slowly.
When he realized after the finish that he had broken the world record, Loubineaud shouted with joy and amazement. “I was hoping for a time under 6.10,” he said in an interview with NOS, but he was almost ten seconds faster.
Yet he still had to wait three long stages to see whether the real favorites such as the Norwegian Sander Eitrem or the Italian Davide Ghiotto would not ride even faster. That was not the case and so the French police officer can call himself the proud new world record holder.
‘Unbelievable’
“It’s unbelievable,” the surprised Loubineaud told NOS. “I never expected that the day would come when I would be the best skater.”
The Czech Metodej Jílek and the Norwegian Sander Eitrem finished second and third with equally fast times of 6:02.78 and 6:03.38. The best Dutchman was Chris Huizinga in fifth place with 6.07.32.
Joy Beune won the three kilometer women’s race. The 26-year-old Dutch woman fell ill two weeks ago during the qualifying matches in Heerenveen, but was given a designated place. With 3.53.69 she remained more than one and a half seconds above the world record of Martina Sábliková, but it was a personal record and the second Dutch time ever.
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