Dutch skaters dominate World Cup races

KOLOMNA, Russia: Svet Kramer led a Dutch sweep of podium places in the men’s 5,000-meter race while countrywoman Marrit Leenstra earned her second career speedskating World Cup victory Saturday by winning the women’s 1,500-meter race.
Olympic champion Kramer clocked 6 minutes, 10.62 seconds to mark his second straight victory in the discipline this season.
Jan Blokhuijsen was timed in 6:11.97 for second while Jorrit Bergsma was 2.46 seconds behind the winner in third.
Kramer leads the discipline standings with 200 points. He is followed by Blokhuijsen and Bergsma, who are tied for second with 150 points each after two podium finishes in two races.
Leenstra clocked 1 minute, 55.04 seconds at the Kolomna speedskating center near Moscow, edging Yekaterina Shikhova of Russia by 0.49 seconds.
Defending overall World Cup champion Christine Nesbitt of Canada clocked 1:56.16 for third.
Leenstra, who was second behind Nesbitt in the season-opening 1,500 race in Heerenveen, Netherlands, last weekend, leads the discipline standings with 180 points. Nesbitt is 10 points behind in second, while Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic is third with 110 points.
Kim Bo-Reum of South Korea claimed victory in the women’s mass start in 8 minutes, 40.77 seconds. She was followed by Ivanie Blondin of Canada and Mariska Huisman of the Netherlands.
Huisman leads the discipline standings with 170 points with one race left in the season. Kim is second, ten points behind. Blondin is third with 130.
The World Cup meet continues Sunday with the men’s 1,500 and mass start and women’s 3,000-meter races.