Visser proves how good Dutch are at Olympics
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Perhaps more than anyone else, Esmee Visser proved just how good the Dutch really are at speedskating.
A near non-factor at national level who was elbowed out of the team by an array of stars until Christmas, the Olympic rookie skated away with a gold medal only two months later.
Visser had the race of her life Friday in winning the 5,000 meters to give the overpowering Dutch a sixth gold medal in seven events at the Olympic Oval. Crimsonfaced as she crossed the finish line, she beat twotime defending champion Martina Sablikova by more than a second. Russian skater Natalia Voronina took bronze.
Further back in eighth place was three-time 5,000-meter Olympic champion Claudia Pechstein, the German who is almost 46 — more than double Visser’s age of 22.
Visser had a slow start Friday but found her groove and clawed back into contention halfway through. Then she kept her flowing movement going, seemingly floating over the ice while
some others ploughed through it.
Increasingly turning red with effort, Visser won in 6 minutes, 50.23 seconds, holding off the charging Sablikova by 1.62 seconds.
Pechstein, who has won three titles over the distance and was still in great form this season, was seeking to become the oldest woman to win a Winter Olympic title. She is also the youngest to the win the 5,000, 17 days younger than Visser is now. But she faded to eighth place, 15.20 seconds behind the winner.