Kramer cannot extend Olympic title 5000 meters again
Speed skater Sven Kramer can no longer win the Olympic title in the 5000 meters for the fourth time in a row. The champion of the Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Games at this distance came in the first stage at the Beijing Winter Games with a time of 6.17.04. Norwegian Hallgeir Engebraten dived in the third stage with 6.09.88, well below the time of the 35-year-old Friesian, who is working on his fifth and final Games.
Seven more stages will follow in the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing. Patrick Roest rides in the last stage before the mopping break against the Italian Andrea Giovannini. Jorrit Bergsma will take on the Japanese Seitaro Ichinohe in the first stage after the break. Top favorite Nils van der Poel from Sweden will play against Belgian Bart Swings in the last stage.