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Martina Sablikova celebrates her win - Source: Reuters -
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Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic claimed the women's
3,000 metres speedskating gold on Monday with a resounding victory
at the Richmond Olympic Oval.
Sablikova turned in a blistering time of four minutes 2.53 seconds
to win by more than two seconds and become the second Czech woman
to win a Winter Games gold following cross-country skier Katerina
Neumannova in 2006.
Stephanie Beckert of Germany took the silver medal in 4:04.62.
Canadian Kristina Groves won the bronze with 4:04.84.
"I felt good going into the race," an elated Sablikova told
reporters. "It was a difficult race. There were three pairs after
me and I hoped to get at least one medal. I have one medal now and
everything is possible (for the 5,000)."
The 22-year-old Sablikova, long and lean with a smooth, gliding
style, made up for her Olympics disappointment at the Turin Games,
where she finished seventh in the 3,000 and fourth in the 5,000
m.
Sablikova could hardly contain her joy, fist-pumping with her coach
in the infield when it became clear victory was hers and then
jumping with excitement with her arms straight up when she reached
the top of the podium.
The Czech, rail-thin by comparison to her more muscular rivals at
1.71 m (5-foot-7) and 54.6 kg (119 pounds), set a daunting target
time in the 11th of 14 pairs and watched as her chief rivals
faltered.
First Groves, roared on by the Canadian faithful urging her on in
hopes of seeing the host country's first gold of the Games, and
then 2006 champion Ireen Wust of the Netherlands pushed hard and
put themselves ahead of Sablikova's pace.
However, both faded in the last laps, Groves hanging on to snare
the bronze and still win thunderous cheers from the crowd.
Wurst finished seventh in 4:08.09, 5.56 seconds back.
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