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Friday,
2 March 2001
Canadian Press
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CALGARY
(CP) -
German speed skater Claudia Pechstein clipped almost a full
second off the world record in the 3,000 metres on Friday
at the final World Cup meet of the season.
Pechstein,
who became the first woman to skate in under four minutes,
then nervously watched fellow German Gunda Niemann-Strinemann,
who set the previous record of 4:00.26 just two weeks ago
at a World Cup event in Hamar, Norway.
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Claudia
Pechstein
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"I
thought, OK, if Gunda beats me, at least I'll have been the first
woman to skate under four minutes," said the 29-year-old from
Bad Sarrow, Germany, who skated 3:59.27.
Neimann-Strinemann
finished second with a 4:00.87. Luydmila Prokasheva of Kazakhstan
was third at 4:05.01. The Germans have see-sawed for position
in the 3000 all season. Neimann-Strinemann has generally come
out on top and her finish Friday was enough to capture the overall
3,000 World Cup title with 460 points.
Pechstein
came second with 390 points in the overall standings and Anni
Friesinger, also of Germany, was third at 230. Records have been
shattered in recent years and the ice at Calgary's Olympic Oval
is considered the fastest in the world. Neimann-Strinemann's Olympic
gold in Nagano in 1998 came with a 4:07.29 Olympic record time.
Canadians
Jeremy Wotherspoon and Catriona Le May Doan both won their 1,000-metre
races, positioning themselves for Saturday's final leg of the
event.
Meanwhile,
Le May Doan and American Chris Witty posted identical times of
1:15.01 to tie for first place. Germany's Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt,
who had been paired with Le May Doan, placed third at 1:15.20.
"It's amazing
to have a tie when you're talking hundredths of a second, but
it was definitely one of my best races this year," said Le May
Doan, who has seen her performance in the 1000 come together in
recent weeks after struggling much of the season. "Maybe I surprised
myself a little. I'm excited about the rest of the weekend," said
the Saskatoon native, who will skate later in the weekend for
the overall World Cup title in the 500-metre event.
Le May Doan
has won seven of eight 500-metre races on the long-track circuit
this season. She broke her own world record in January with a
time of 37.57.
reprinted with
permission
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