Speed skating · Global
Leerdam wins Olympic thousand metres ahead of Kok
The Dutch skater surpassed a record set moments earlier by her compatriot.
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Jutta Leerdam won the Olympic women’s thousand metres after surpassing a record set by Femke Kok in the preceding pair. Kok had posted 1:12.59, but Leerdam went 0.28 seconds faster in the last pairing to take gold, with Kok earning silver.
Defending champion Miho Takagi, who raced alongside Leerdam, finished third, 1.64 seconds behind the winner. The two Dutch athletes both improved the Olympic record and continued a season in which they had been leading contenders across the sprint distances.
Leerdam said Kok’s strong performance had helped her focus on producing her fastest possible race rather than the expectation of gold. Takagi treated bronze as a positive start before her remaining programme, while American Brittany Bowe placed fourth.
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