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Hein Otterspeer (NED) and Kjeld Nuis (NED) won the 500m and the 1000m at the World Cup final in Minsk, but Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen (NOR) secured the Grand World Cup taking an unassailable lead in the ranking on Saturday. Ted-Jan Bloemen seized the men’s long distance World Cup coming fifth in the 5000m, with Sverre Lunde Pedersen (NOR) winning the distance. The Norwegian did win the Team Pursuit World Cup.
Norway Team Pursuit
Dutch sweep podium in 500m
Otterspeer led a Dutch podium sweep in the men’s 500m, clocking 35.06. Jan Smeekens came second in 35.07 and Ronald Mulder third in 35.08. Lorentzen came fourth in 35.13. The Olympic Champion from Norway leads the 500m World Cup, with a 106 point gap over Mulder heading into the final race with another 150 points for the winner on Sunday.
Nuis takes 1000m World Cup
Nuis secured the 1000m World Cup. He won the distance in a head-to-head-battle with Lorentzen. The Olympic champion stopped the clock at 1:09.23 and the silver medalist form Pyeongchang set 1:09.45 to come third. Kai Verbij (NED) took second in 1:09.40. Lorentzen finished second in the World Cup and Verbij third.
Ted Jan Bloemen (CAN)
Pedersen finds consolation
Bloemen successfully defended a 115 point lead over third-ranked Pedersen in the World Cup. The Canadian did not have to worry about second-ranked Sven Kamer (NED), who skipped the World Cup final. Pedersen found a little consolation after his devastating fall in the 10000m at the World Allround Championships last week, winning the 5000m in 6:22.15. Alexander Rumyantsev (RUS) came second in 6:23.81 and Marcel Bosker (NED) third in 6:24.12. Bloemen’s fifth place in 6:26.38 was enough to retain top position and seize the long distance World Cup.
In the men’s Team Pursuit only three teams took the ice in Minsk. Norway beat Italy to take gold in 3:43.88, securing the season’s World Cup for their nation for the first time since the 2010-2011 season. Italy skated 3:49.15 to come second in both the day’s race and the World Cup classification, while Japan clocked 3:51.84 to end up third in the race and the classification.