Dutch speedster Thomas Krol has been crowned Olympic 1000m speed skating champion after a sensational performance at the Beijing 2022 National Speed Skating Oval.
Krol finished 0.40 seconds ahead of silver medal winner Laurent Dubreuil of Canada with a time of 1:07.92, with bronze medal winner Haavard Holmefjord Lorentzen of Norway coming home a further 0.16 seconds back in 1:08.48.
Krol entered the race among the favourites, after a World Cup season in which he stands top of the rankings. He now has another Olympic medal to add to the silver he won in the 1500m - but this time the colour is gold.
Athletes from the Netherlands have been in dominant form in the Olympic speed skating competition, winning a total of 11 medals so far with five of them gold. Now Krol joins compatriots such as Irene Schouten and Ireen Wust in earning the right to call himself an Olympic champion.
A delighted Krol was left surprised by his performance in the 1000m, stating that he had been more confident about the 1500m race in which he won silver.
"This is just fantastic. I'm crazy happy with this gold medal," he said. "In comparison to the 1500m, I didn't expect it to happen. When I saw my time, I wasn't really sure it would be enough. The one time (ln the 1500m) you think it's enough, and it isn't, the other time you think it's not enough and then it is.
Canada's silver medallist Dubreil, who skated to his first medal of the Games, was equally pleased with his podium finish in the event.
"This silver medal feels like a win. The fourth place in the 500m felt like a disaster.
"This is a week I will remember for a long time. The last four years I've trained a lot on the 1000m to give myself another chance. If you only compete in one distance and mess up, it's over. Now I had another chance...
"It takes belief and perseverance but it also takes a good support system and good family, friends and support around me to be able to turn it around. I could not have done it without all those people allowing me the time and space I needed to get over it."
Norway's Holmefjord Lorentzen, the bronze medallist on the day, spoke passionately about just how much the occasion meant to him.
"It’s very emotional," he said. "It’s a relief. The medal means a lot. I’ve been working really hard to come back to where I am. I’m really happy. Without support from family and friends, it wouldn’t have been possible."