Timmer overcomes tearful DQ to capture gold
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-21 06:45

TURIN, Italy: Dutch speed skater Marianne Timmer turned tears of frustration into golden vindication, winning the Olympic women's 1,000m gold medal on Sunday after a 500m disqualification five days earlier.

Turning anger and disappointment into gold, the 31-year-old Dutch star took her first Olympic medal since capturing the 1998 gold at 1,000m and 1,500m, winning in 1 minute, 16.05 seconds to edge Canada's Cindy Klassen by .04 of a second.

"It was really incredible," Timmer said. "It's like being in a movie. Imagine, eight years after my first Olympic medal and I did it again. I can hardly believe it."

Timmer departed the ice in tears last Tuesday after becoming the first victim of a controversial new false start rule.

"After the 500 I had a bad feeling about the whole Olympics," Timmer said. "Today everything was OK. I had the right feeling. I still can't believe it. It's wonderful."

Timmer was cheered for 2 1/2 laps around the 400m Lingotto Oval by thousands of Dutch supporters, but when she set the time to beat there were still 14 skaters with a chance to knock her from the top.

But Timmer was still in the lead when her friend, Germany's Anni Friesinger, took the ice in the final pairing.

"I thought when I saw Anni, that was the golden race. But it wasn't," said Timmer. "My third gold medal. It's really special. How did I do it? I don't know. It's crazy."

World Cup leader Friesinger, 29, made it close with a furious final lap, but settled for bronze just .06 behind Timmer.

"Marianne was angry after the 500 so I think she deserved to win," said Friesinger. "She was very disappointed about the 500m. I knew she had so much motivation, she was going to win a medal today. Which one, I didn't know.

"I told her this is the best thing you could do for your 500."