Netherlands speed skaters sweep medals in men’s 5,000 meters

The Dutch speed skaters have swept the medals in the men’s 5,000 meters.

According to USA Today Sports, the Dutchmen won the gold, silver and bronze in the first event at Adler Arena.
Sven Kramer won the gold with an Olympic-record-setting performance, Jan Blokhuijsen was awarded the silver medal and Jorrit Bergsma took the bronze medal.

NBC noted that on Saturday, Kramer defended his title in the men's 5,000 meters with an Olympic-record time of 6 minutes, 10.76 seconds, breaking his old mark of 6:14.60 from the Vancouver Games in 2010.

"I knew it was a good race," Kramer told Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, the Dutch national broadcaster. "I've had 6:10 in my head all week and I've had sleepless nights thinking 9.2, 9.2, 9.2. Skate only 29.2 laps and keep going as long as possible and it worked."

This is Kramer’s second Olympic gold medal.
Seventeen-year-old Emery Lehman was the top-finisher for the Americans. He placed 16th with a time of 6:29.94.