No silver lining for beaten Kramer

The glum look on Sven Kramer's face said it all. When his name was announced as the silver medalist in Tuesday's 10,000 meter speed skating event, he stepped onto the podium like a condemned man going to the gallows.

The Dutchman could hardly muster a smile as the shock and disappointment at finishing second to countryman Jorrit Bergsma began to sink in.

He shook hands with his teammates - Bob de Jong took third for another Dutch medal sweep - then posed for some photos before facing the media to explain what went wrong.

"Being satisfied with silver is not my view on top sport," he said. "That is not why I train, that is not why I race. I race to win."

Kramer did win the gold medal in the 5,000m race last week, successfully defending the title he won at the last Olympics in Vancouver, but losing the 10,000m was a particularly bitter blow.

He should have won the gold four years ago after posting the fastest time, only to be disqualified for failing to change lanes after his coach mistakenly pointed him in the wrong direction.

Kramer waited four years for the chance to make up for that and although he covered the 25 laps nearly five seconds quicker in Sochi than he did in 2010 - a time wiped from the records - it was not enough to catch Bergsma, who set a massive Olympic record in the previous heat.

"I knew when I started that Jorrit set a really fast time, he just did a really good job," Kramer said.

"I knew that his laps were under 30 seconds and I couldn't keep up with that. This is the Olympics, you know you have to rise up to the occasion and I just wasn't good enough today."

Kramer beat Bergsma in the 5,000m but said his chances of beating him again over the longer distance were hindered by a niggling injury that flared up during the week and left him in pain.

"If you want to be at the top of your sport, you have to be in good shape and I am not in good shape. It cost me too much energy to skate relaxed," he said.

"This pain, I have had my whole career and it usually comes in training sessions. This time it was the wrong moment."

For a long time, Kramer looked like he might still win. The 27-year-old set off at a cracking pace and was almost four seconds ahead of Bergsma's time after 6,000m as Gerard Kemkers, still his coach despite blowing his chances four years ago, roared him on from the sidelines.

He was still just ahead after 8,000m but was unable to keep it up over the final laps as fatigue started to set in and the gold slipped away.

"I am really disappointed with the race today but Jorrit did an amazing job, and I couldn't beat him, he set a world record for sea level," Kramer said.

"I knew before the race it was possible but I had too many problems with my back, too many small injuries.

"He did a great job, he was unbeatable today. It was pretty simple - I wasn't good enough."

(China Daily 02/20/2014 page24)