4:32pm- The final pair featured USA’s Jennifer Rodriguez & Canada’s gold medalist in the 1000-meter Christine Nesbitt. Both were off the pace, which gives the Gold medal to the Netherlands’ Ireen Wust! Click here for results.
4:29pm- Canada’s Kristina Groves started very strong and well ahead of the pace, and she held on, punching through most of the race, but fading in the last 200-meters, coming in with a time of 1:57.14, good for second place.
This guarantees the Netherlands and Canada a medal each, with one final pair remaining because Wust is leading, and there’s a Canadian in the final pair.
4:24pm- Czech Republic’s Martina Sablikova is now sitting in second place, more than one second behind the current leader’s time.
4:20pm- The Netherlands’ Ireen Wust just set a great time of 1:56.89. This equals Christine Nesbitt’s track record which was set in the fall.
The challenge is now on for the three remaining pairs. There is a Canadian skater racing in each three remainin pairs.
4:16pm- With four pairs to skate, the Netherlands’ Margot Boer shaved .10-seconds off the lead time with her time of 1:58.10.
Boer, who’s a tall skater, was able to skate a very strong final inner, this partly because of her background in short track speed skating.
4:13pm- Japan’s Nao Kodairo just skated a 1:58.20, which makes her the newest leader. The Netherlands’Annette Gerritsen is now bumped to 2nd place.
Kodairo increased her leg speed coming down the final straightaway, which is what skaters want to do on grippy ice such as that in Richmond.
4:09pm- Russia’s Yekaterina Shikhova’s time is now the second fastest of the competition- 1:58.54. Her pair was Canada’s Cindy Klassen.
4:04pm- Germany’s Anna Friesinger-Postma’s time is good enough for 2nd place right now. She was World Champion last year in this distance.
3:58pm- The second group’s first pair is on the line, ready to start.
3:38pm PST- Jilleanna Rookard, who started ice speed skating in 2006 after competing in roller speed skating for numerous years, skated a 2:03.02. Rookard, who was wearing her pink Bont skates, made the USA team, and unfortunately, 18-days later, her mother passed away.
The ice is now being resurfaced.
3:33pm- The Netherlands’ Annette Gerritsen, who won the Silver medal in the 1000-meter race, set the Richmond oval record in this distance with a time of 1:58.46. The old mark was of 1:58.66. She now has the time to beat.
3:28pm- Russia’s Yekaterina Obysheva is the new leader, stumbling through the line hardly able to control her wobbly legs her time; 1:59.52.
3:21pm- Norway’s 18-year old Hege Bokko’s time still stands as the time to beat. Her time in the 1000-meter stood until after the second half of the race.
3:18pm- USA’s Heather Richardson nearly took the top time, a mere .04-seconds from Bokko’s time.
3:08pm PST- The women’s Olympic 1500-meter long track speed skating race is now under way. Through two pairs, the early leader is Norway’s Hege Bokko.
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