Canada's Bloemen blows Kramer away, sets OR to grab gold in 10,000m
Ted-Jan Bloemen got his revenge in the 10,000 meters.
After Dutch legend Sven Kramer pipped him for gold in the men's 5,000-meter race last week, Bloemen, the Canadian who holds the 10,000-meter world record, defeated his renowned peer Thursday to capture his first career Olympic gold.
Bloemen set a new Olympic record with a time of 12:39.77 to grab top spot on the podium at the Gangneung Oval.
This is Canada’s first medal in the men’s 10,000m long track speed skating event since Lake Placid 1932. It is also Canada’s top Olympic result in the event. #TeamCanada
— Team Canada PR (@TeamCanadaPR) February 15, 2018
In adding gold to his silver from the aforementioned 5,000, Bloemen has become an early contender to carry the Canadian flag during the PyeongChang closing ceremony.
Kramer, meanwhile, faded badly in the latter stages of Thursday's race, finishing sixth. As a result, the 10,000 remains the one gold medal that's eluded the decorated speedskater.