Patrick Roest has extended his world title in the 5000 meters at the World Championships in Calgary. The 28-year-old Lekkerkerker was the best in the Olympic Oval in Canada with 6.07.28. Just like last year, silver was won by the Italian Davide Ghiotto, who achieved a time of 6.08.61. The bronze went to the Norwegian Sander Eitrem.
Roest started his race for the world title with an undefeated status in the 5000 meters this season. He had skipped the last World Cup race in Quebec, but had won the other four convincingly. The skater won the world title for the first time in the 5000 meters at the World Championships in Heerenveen last year.
Ghiotto rode against Canadian Ted-Jan Bloemen, who has his home track in Calgary. The Italian took a lead after a fast first lap and kept it. He kept his laps just under 29 seconds and was slightly faster than the Norwegian Eitrem, who had clocked 6.09.00.
In the next stage against Michele Malfatti, Roest knew exactly what to ride. He started a little faster than Ghiotto, but then slowly lost that lead with laps of just over 29 seconds. However, with a flat schedule he was able to gain time again in the closing laps and he did so. He was more than a second faster.
Chris Huizinga finished seventh with 6.15.04. Marcel Bosker finished fifteenth with 6.23.87.
No gold for the men in the team sprint
The Dutch skaters just missed out on the world title in the team sprint. In Calgary, Janno Botman, Jenning de Boo and Tim Prins set a world record with 1.17.17. Canada’s skaters then dropped by less than 0.01 seconds. Norway took the bronze.
After a good start and a fast intermediate lap from De Boo, Prins was launched for a strong final lap. The team thus fell below the best time that Canada had set in 2017. Then Anders Johnson, Laurent Dubreuil and Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu drove a strong final lap to almost the same time, but according to the clock Canada was slightly faster.
Women miss out on medals
The Dutch skaters missed out on the medals in the team sprint. Marrit Fledderus, Jutta Leerdam and Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong achieved a time of 1.26.86 and finished fourth. Just like a year earlier, the title went to Canada, ahead of the US and Poland.
Rijpma-De Jong could not keep up with Fledderus and Leerdam after the start. She tried to close the gap, but was unable to do so and had to complete the three laps all alone. That broke her in the third round.
The Netherlands previously won this event in 2019, 2020 and 2022. At the World Cup in 2023, the team finished fifth with a different composition. (AP)