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Another Gold For Canada
Vancouver (AFP) - Canada's world champion Christine Nesbitt took gold in the women's 1,000-metres speedskating Thursday, holding off a powerful Dutch challenge to win the host nation's third gold of the Games.

 

Nesbitt was off the pace early on but backed by a passionate home crowd roared back to seize first place in a time of 1min 16.56secs, just 0.02secs ahead of Annette Gerritsen. Laurine van Riessen took bronze with 1:16.72.

 

Skating in the second-to-last pair, Nesbitt faced a nervous wait for the final pair of Canada's Kristina Groves and Margot Boer of the Netherlands to race at the Richmond Olympic Oval before she could celebrate Olympic gold.

 

"I knew I wasn't skating good. It wasn't coming easy. The first 600m wasn't good. It happened to me before, but in the last leg I kept fighting and I knew it paid off," Nesbitt said.

 

"I can't believe it's the Olympics, it doesn't feel real," the 24-year-old added.

 

She said the support of the crowd was a major factor.

 

"I was not nervous at all. They were cheering me on and it made a big difference."

 

Silver medallist Gerritsen said she was delighted with her second-placed finish despite failing to win gold by a wafer-thin margin.

 

"It's great. Two days ago it was disappointing. Now it's beautiful," she said.

 

"I have trained so long for this and I have been looking forward to this for such a long time. I thought it has to happen now. It is a dream come true," she added.

 

"It's only two-hundredths of a second, but I am so happy. Happiness tops disappointment," she said.

 

Dutch team-mate Van Riessen said: "This is awesome. It's really cool. I didn't think it would be enough. I am really close to the first position but I am happy to be third."

 

Reigning women's world 1,000-metre speedskating champion Nesbitt was returning to the 400-metre oval where she captured her world crown.

 

Nesbitt owns the fastest time in the event this season at 1:13.36 and the reigning World Cup champion is also four-for-four in World Cup 1,000m races this season.

 

Australia-born Nesbitt began as a short-track speedskater but when she was not accepted at McGill University in Montreal, the home of Canada's short-track programme, she switched to the long-track group in Calgary.

 

She took a 2006 Olympic silver medal in team pursuit.