02/16/26 06:51:00
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02/16 06:49 CST Dutch star Xandra Velzeboer wins 1,000 meters short track final
for her 2nd Olympic gold in Milan
Dutch star Xandra Velzeboer wins 1,000 meters short track final for her 2nd
Olympic gold in Milan
By KEN MAGUIRE
AP Sports Writer
MILAN (AP) --- Dutch star Xandra Velzeboer won the 1,000 meters gold medal in
women's short track speedskating on Monday, four days after topping the podium
in the 500 at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Velzeboer finished first in the final in 1 minute, 28.437 seconds, with
Canada's Courtney Sarault in second for the silver medal followed by South
Korea's Kim Gilli, who took bronze.
Home favorite Arianna Fontana, in her sixth Games and owner of 13 Olympic
medals in her career, was fourth.
Velzeboer passed Sarault with three laps to go and held off challenges,
sticking her right skate over the line and raising both arms aloft.
A smiling Velzeboer then high-fived teammates as she took a victory lap and
lifted both hands up to her helmet as if in disbelief.
The 35-year-old Fontana said she was building speed to make a move when she was
bumped by China's Gong Li with a few laps to go.
"I was right in the moment when the Chinese skater hit me. I was ready to go in
the front. I knew I was going to be able to find myself in first position at
that moment," Fontana said. "It didn't happen, and what upsets me is I didn't
have a chance to fight for a medal. It's upsetting."
U.S. skater Kristen Santos-Griswold was looking for redemption at these Games
but couldn't get out of the quarterfinals. Four years ago at the Beijing
Olympics, she was leading the 1,000 meters final before crashing when Fontana
cut inside. The Connecticut native was the 2024 world champion at 1,000 meters.
Canada's Kim Boutin, the 1,000 meters silver medalist at the 2018 Games, also
failed to advance from the quarterfinals.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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