Speed skater Martina Sáblíková won the bronze medal in the 3000 meters race at the World Championships in Heerenveen. Favorite Ragne Wiklundová from Norway won, second was Irene Schoutenová from home.
The 35-year-old Czech representative won her twelfth medal on this track, after six gold and five silver, she finished third for the first time in her career.
Coach Petar Novák’s protégé clocked the season’s best time of 3:58.35 in the Thialf hall. She was 1.49 seconds behind the fastest Wiklund, who dominated the long-distance World Cup ranking this season. Last year’s Olympic champion from Beijing Schoutenová was less than a second faster than Sáblíková.
The native of Nové Město in Moravia presented herself in the mecca of this sport in the penultimate heat, in which she already knew the times of her main competitors. After missing the end of the SP, Schoultenová already started in the fifth pair and clocked an excellent time of 3:57.40.
In the eighth heat, Wiklundová then introduced herself and overtook the Dutch star. In addition, the Canadian Valerie Maltaisová, who also got under the four-minute mark, followed the Norwegian favorite to an excellent time. However, Sáblíková subsequently confirmed her good form from Tomaszów Mazowiecki, where the SP series culminated in February. She followed up on two medal positions from Poland and expanded her rich collection of medals.
Sáblíková has one more start in Heerenveen, on Sunday she will compete in the 5000 meters race.
