'Fastest ice' lives up to its billing at competition

KEARNS — The Utah Olympic Oval is billed as the fastest ice on earth, and on Saturday, it certainly lived up to that reputation.

Three new world records were set during the third day of skating at the ISU World Single Distances Championship, and there could easily be more record-setting performances when the championships wrap up today.

Swen Kramer entered the 10,000-meter race already holding the world record — he set it on Feb. 11 in his home ice in the Netherlands — but felt he was ready to make another run at the glory he already held.

"That was one of my goals," Kramer said, "To come here and try to set the record again."

He not only set the record, he crushed it.

His time of 12 minutes, 41.69 seconds was 8.19 seconds faster than his previous best.

By the time he had completed the 13th lap of his 20-lap race around the 400m oval, Kramer had lapped his skating partner and the public address announcer gave frequent updates about how fast he was going.

"I thought before maybe it was possible with a couple of seconds but not like this — destroy," Kramer said, clearly impressed with his performance.

American Chad Hedrick, in the middle of a difficult season following an offseason filled with little training and plenty of weight gain following his three-medal showing in the 2006 Olympics, was far behind Kramer's pace. The former record-holder from Texas was 39 seconds slower than Kramer and vowed to make sure there would be no repeat to this speedskating season.

"This year is just a fluke," Hedrick said. "I won four world championships in four years. I didn't do that by accident. I did that because I am a great athlete. Next year will be different.

"I'll take the inline skates out of the closet and start training now," he said. "It's pretty hard to swallow. If I'm not a world champion again next year, I'll be pretty disappointed."

Also breaking the world record was Germany's Jenny Wolf in the women's 500.

Her time of 37.04 in the second heat trimmed 0.18 off the record set by Catriona LeMay Doane of Canada in 2001. Her first heat time of 37.38 helped give her a world record in the combined 500.

Wolf was surprised by the time, thinking she was fast but not that fast.

"During the race, I had no idea I was so fast," Wolf said. "I couldn't believe it. When everybody was screaming so loud, I knew it must be something really fast."

Wolf's time came just a few minutes after American Shani Davis won the men's 1,000 with a time of 1:07.03 — 0.25 off the world record pace.

Canada picked up a win in the women's team pursuit in the day's final event.

Competition will wrap up today with the women's 1,000 and 5,000, while the men will run the 1,500 and team pursuit with racing starting at noon.

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E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com