Dutch speed skaters seal fourth podium sweep in 10,000m

Jorrit Bergsma took gold in the men's 10,000m on Tuesday as the Netherlands swept the speed skating podium at the Sochi Olympics for the fourth time. In yet another statement of Dutch dominance, Bergsma crossed the line in a new Olympic record time of 12min 44.45sec, ahead of Sven Kramer (12:49.02) and Bob de Jong (13:07.19) Speed skating powerhouse the Netherlands had already dominated the podiums in the men's 500m, 5,000m and women's 1,500m. They have now won 19 of 27 medals up for grabs at the Adler Arena, with six gold medals out of nine events so far. Bergsma, 28, skated in the penultimate pair and had to watch as Kramer, racing with defending champion Lee Seung-Hoon of South Korea, went last. Kramer was on world record pace halfway through his race but he faded and had to settle for silver. "It is a fantastic feeling," said Bergsma. "I knew with my current shape I could do it, but these are the Olympic Games. You have to cope with the pressure and control your nerves. "I knew with a good race I would win here. I watched Sven Kramer. He held on for a very long time, but finally he broke." Speaking about his tactics, he added: "I wanted to go fast, but I didn't want to push it too much. I wanted to keep skating. I was able to do that until the end, and that is a fantastic feeling." Kramer's silver means he now has six Olympic medals -- equalling the Dutch record for the Winter Games held by Ireen Wust and Rintje Ritsma. "Being satisfied with silver is not my view on top sport. That is not why I train, that is not why I race. I race to win," said Kramer, 27. "I knew when I started that Jorrit Bergsma set a really fast time, he just did a really good job." "My race just was not good enough," he added. "I couldn't find the rhythm and I couldn't find the flow. I'm in good shape, but today too many little things were going wrong." Bob de Jong is the first male speed skater to win at least one medal at four different Olympic Winter Games. Aged 37, he is also the second oldest male speed skater to win an Olympic medal and the oldest in 86 years. Source: AFP