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Cindy Klassen: Come watch history, she's going to be racing soon!
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| Fir3start3r |
Already one Canadian leading (Kristina Groves, 1,500-metre long-track speed skating event who has already won a silver behind Cindy), will Cindy make it 5???
I'm excited as hell!
Tune in and root her on!!!!
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Hughes, Klassen look to add to collection
Last Updated: Sat Feb 25 10:39:44 EST 2006
CBC Sports
Clara Hughes will race in her specialty at the Olympics on Saturday, the 5,000 metres at Oval Lingotto in Turin. (CP Photo)
With all the talk of how Canadian women are carrying the freight at the Torino Games, how fitting that two of the country's female Olympic legends will have a shot to add more medals to the country's record haul in Saturday's 5,000-metre speed skating race at Oval Lingotto.
Canadian women have accounted for 14 of the 20 medals won as of the end of Friday in Turin. One should probably not read too much into the gender imbalance, as Canadian men have posted a host of fourth-place finishes.
Still, Winnipeg's Clara Hughes and Cindy Klassen could up the percentage on Saturday, with two-time silver medallist Kristina Groves of Ottawa also in the mix.
Hughes' place in Olympic lore was already well-established prior to Turin. With a silver for Canada in the team pursuit at these Games, the 33-year-old has become the only athlete in history to capture multiple medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, with two each in cycling and speed skating.
One of those medals was a bronze in the 5,000 in Salt Lake City. She's since won in this distance at the 2004 world single distances championships and earlier this season at the World Cup in Heerenveen, the Netherlands.
Klassen has joined the pantheon of Canadian legends in Turin, winning four medals (one gold, two silver, one bronze) to complement a bronze earned four years ago in Salt Lake.
She is the only Canadian woman to earn five Olympic medals, and if she wins a sixth would break a tie with short track's Marc Gagnon and runner Phillip Edwards.
Whether it's modesty or an accurate assessment of her strengths, the 26-year-old's achievements in Turin haven't made her too confident of success in the longest race yet.
"Twelve laps seems like 20 miles to me in my mind," Klassen said. "I don't think that how the Games have gone has anything to do with it. It's just a hard race for me."
As impressive as Klassen's credentials are, German Claudia Pechstein will be looking to add to her total of eight Olympic medals (five gold, one silver, two bronze).
Pechstein, who turned 34 on Thursday, has won the 5,000 at the past three Olympics .
Pechstein set the current Olympic and world record in the event at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, blazing across the finish line in six minutes, 46:91.
At Turin, Pechstein has been part of the German's gold in speed skating pursuit but finished a disappointing fifth in the 3,000.
Her teammate Anni Freisinger will not skate in the 5,000, which should improve Canada's medal hopes. Friesinger was planning to enter five events in Turin, but comes away with a bronze in the 1,000 and the gold in the team pursuit.
Hughes and Pechstein will go head-to-head in the eighth and final pair.
Klassen will race against Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic in the second-to-last pairing.
The Czech flag-bearer in the opening ceremony, the 18-year-old Sablikova is a contender in the event but has been hampered by a thigh muscle injury in Turin.
Groves will be part of the fourth pair with Renate Groenewold of the Netherlands.
Groves, 29, is generally stronger in the 1,500 and 3,000, but can't be counted out given her success in Italy.
For her part, Groenewold beat out Klassen for silver in the 3,000 on Feb. 12. Groenewold finished second in the World Cup 5,000/10,000 standings twice (2004 and 2005 seasons).
Ten countries are represented among the 16 skaters entered in the final speed skating event at the Torino Games.
with files from CP Online
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| Fir3start3r |
It looks like REAL soon.
Definately I'd say within the hour or so...
Woot! Woot!!! :D |
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| Fir3start3r |
| ...she's on the ice warming up NOW... |
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| The Wiz |
Watching. Very excited.
Imagine she tested positive for steroids and they took away all four(possibly five) of her medals. We wouldn't be doing so hot then, lol. |
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| Fir3start3r |
SHE'S ON NOW!
GO CINDY GO!!! |
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| Fir3start3r |
| Wow...she's powering through this...:eyes: |
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| Fir3start3r |
Klara!!! WOOT!!!
Canada wins Gold and Bronze!!!! :D |
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| StereoPrincess |
| i think Klara Hughes raced the best race i have ever watched. |
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| shanny |
I didn't see it but heard that she collapsed when she was finished.
What happened?
Sounds like an incredible athletic performance. |
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| nadezhda |
| aw i missed it!??!!? |
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| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by shanny
I didn't see it but heard that she collapsed when she was finished.
What happened?
Sounds like an incredible athletic performance. |
She basically gave it her all and was just totally wiped with nothing in the tank left.
She's now the only Canadian athelete to have won both a medal in the Summer AND Winter Olympics.
She won bronze 10 years, yes, 10 YEARS ago for bicycle...
Wow...our women are machines I tells yea... |
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