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Dutch double as Bergsma and Groenewoud win Olympic speed skating gold / Photo: Piero CRUCIATTI - AFP
Dutch double as Bergsma and Groenewoud win Olympic speed skating gold
Speed skaters Jorrit Bergsma and Marijke Groenewoud struck double gold for the Netherlands, causing upsets in the men's and women's mass start races respectively at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday.
Bergsma, 40, denied US sprint king Jordan Stolz a third gold after his 500 metres and 1,000 metres titles in Milan. Stolz finished fourth with defending champion Bart Swings of Belgium in ninth.
Groenewoud, 27, also ensured Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida did not win a third gold at her home Games after she'd triumphed in the 3,000m and 5,000m.
The Italian finished fourth in the final speed skating event of the Olympics.
Long-distance specialist Bergsma, Olympic champion over 10,000m in 2014 and bronze medallist over the same distance in Milan, crossed the line alone ahead of Danish outsider Viktor Hald Thorup.
The two men broke away right from the start, with their pursuers only giving chase in the final three laps, far too late to close the gap.
The reigning world champion in the event, Italy's Andrea Giovannini, took bronze ahead of Stolz.
"That was crazy, mind-blowing," said Bergsma. "Everybody was expecting Jordan, Andrea and Bart.
"I was expecting a really hard final, but nobody wanted to do the first attack. I did it. I had a gap together with Viktor Hald and that was it.
"We had a gap in no time, and then I knew, 'OK, I have a big, big chance right now'.
"I had to keep my cool and finish it," added Bergsma, racing in a helmet with his lucky number 13.
"It has been my lucky number already. In the Netherlands, I am skating marathons with leg number 13.
"One week ago I won a bronze medal on Friday the 13th. And today I win with number 13. It is like magic for me."
Groenewoud, the three-time reigning world champion, finished ahead of Canada's Ivanie Blondin who won silver with American Mia Manganello taking bronze.
It was a very tactical race that saw the pack mark each other until the final laps at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
A.Mariconda--INP
