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TORINO -- The women's 3,000 meters in long-track speedskating Sunday was supposed to be the first indication of whether Canada's Cindy Klassen or Germany's Anni Friesinger would be a multiple gold medalist at the Winter Olympics.
Instead, 19-year-old Ireen Wust stunned prognosticators with a victory that continued the tradition of Olympic upsets by Dutch women in speedskating.
Wust's best time this season ranked 14th in the 28-woman field. But she managed to skate a lifetime best of four minutes, 2.43 seconds on Torino's slow and widely maligned ice and won by more than a second.
Fellow Dutch skater Renate Groenewold repeated her silver medal performance of 2002 with a 4:03.48.
Klassen battled through a final-turn slip to finish third in 4:04.37, and Friesinger had to settle for fourth in 4:04.59. Both Klassen and Friesinger were considered medal contenders in as many as five events.
"It was absolutely a surprise," Wust said. "It is unbelievable. I have to pinch myself."
Understanding the 11 Cities Tour that inspired Wust to take up the sport at age 11 in 1997 is perhaps the best way to explain the Dutch speedskating passion.
That race covers 200 kilometers (124 miles) but takes place only during severe winters that freeze the Netherlands' canals and lakes. The last running was 1997. Wust, like the majority of Dutch citizens, was in front of a television at 5 a.m. to watch the start.
Her father was in the field, and Wust was angered when, after waiting all day to hear her father's result, she learned he had dropped out after 100 kilometers.
Wust had a shorter but equally agonizing wait Sunday. Skating in the 10th pair, she had to watch four pairs skate after her to see if her time would hold up.
"It was terrible," Wust said. "I was so nervous, I didn't know what to do. I was listening to my music, sitting, standing, talking to anyone. It was so unreal."
Klassen said her late bobble was the result of fatigue.
"I started out really hard, but I paid for it in the later laps," said the Canadian, the 3,000 world recordholder at 3:55.75 who also has the world best at 1,500.
Klassen said of Wust, "She had an amazing race."
As for the Dutch going 1-2 in a race expected to produce medals only for Canadians and Germans, Klassen said, "I was a little surprised because they haven't been performing as well. That's the Olympics for you."
Three of the other biggest upsets in Olympic speedskating history have been delivered by Dutch women.
In 1980, Annie Borckink, 28, a nursing student who had never been in the top three at an international event, won the 1,500. In 1988, Yvonne van Gennip set a 5,000 world record two months after foot surgery and being hospitalized with an infection. In 1998, Marianne Timmer won the 1,500 in world-record time.
The top U.S. finisher Sunday was Catherine Raney, 11th in 4:10.44. By finishing in the top 16, Raney qualified for the 5,000 on Feb.25, her strongest event.
*Latest on the men's 500 at olympics.usatoday.com
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