HEERENVEEN, Netherlands — Canada’s Christine Nesbitt has done it all over her stellar long-track speedskating career.
She’s won Olympic gold, World Cup titles and national championships.
And now for the first time, she’s a world sprint champion.
Nesbitt essentially locked up the title with a surprising third-place finish in the women’s 500 metres Sunday. She iced the win by taking top spot in the 1,000 metres later in the day.
Nesbitt has been dominant in the 1,000 all season. Her breakthrough effort in the 500 was the shocker this weekend, something Nesbitt herself wasn’t even expecting.
“I never considered myself a pure sprinter and I still don’t,” Nesbitt said on a conference call. “I just never ever thought that my (500-metre times) would be good enough to compete with these girls.
“I’ve surprised myself this whole season.”
On Saturday, Nesbitt won the 1,000 in a track-record time of one minute 15.01 seconds and finished a solid sixth in the 500 in 38.57.
She dominated the 1,000 again Sunday in 1:15.39 but the real eye opener was her time of 38.45 in the 500, good for a career-best third-place finish.
“She’s definitely put herself on the map as a full sprint athlete,” said national team coach Mark Wild.
Nesbitt, of London, Ont., said she has been more explosive off the line.
“I’ve been working a lot on my start,” she said. “Even just a little bit on the start gives you so much more for the first and second laps in the races.”
Annette Gerritsen won silver and Dutch teammate Margot Boer took the bronze. Defending champion Lee Kyou-hyuk of South Korea secured his fourth men’s title.
Lee won both 500 races and placed sixth in the decisive final 1,000. Mo Tae-bum of South Korea was second and American Shani Davis was third after winning the closing 1,000. Jamie Gregg of Edmonton was sixth overall and Denny Morrison of Fort St. John, B.C., was seventh.
Jenny Wolf of Germany won both 500-metre races but could only finish 21st in the final 1,000. Ireen Wust of the Netherlands was second in the final 1,000 in 1:15.93 and fellow Dutchwoman Laurine van Riessen was third in 1:16.61. Shannon Rempel of Winnipeg was 13th overall.
Nesbitt said the passionate Dutch fans threw flowers and stuffed animals on the ice after her victory. She was then presented with a large wreath and enjoyed a horse-drawn sleigh ride with Lee around the Thialf oval.
Nesbitt — who was competing at this event for the first time — will now aim for a world championship double at the world allround championships in Calgary next month.
“My 500 and 1,500 and 3,000 are really good, but I haven’t skated a 5,000 for two years,” Nesbitt said. “This weekend I have proved to myself anything is possible so I think I have a chance.”
Lee won the sprint title in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Davis, a two-time gold Olympic gold medallist in the 1,000, interrupted his run by winning in 2009. But a disappointing 500 on Sunday scuttled the American’s chance of overall victory.
“He had to skate four solid races this weekend,” Davis’ coach Peter Mueller said. “If he had skated as well today as he did yesterday he might have had a chance, but Lee is very hard to beat.”
Lee won Sunday’s 500 in 34.77 and Davis could only manage ninth place in 35.40, leaving him too much time to make up in the final 1,000, which Davis won in 1:08.76.
“I am happy, I am tired,” the 32-year-old Lee said after the race, in between swigs of champagne.
Now the veteran sprinter is considering extending his career to the Sochi Games in 2014 and hoping to finally add an Olympic title to his four world sprint titles.
“Three years is a long time,” he said. “I will try.”
Mo, Olympic champion in the 500, was third in both the 500 and 1,000 on Sunday to secure his overall silver.
Overnight men’s leader Stefan Groothuis was disqualified in the 500 on Sunday and then reinstated. He ended up fourth overall.
Judges initially said his right skate illegally crossed the centre line on the home straightaway before reversing their decision after studying video footage.
“I cried, cursed, everything,” Groothuis said after finishing second behind Davis in the closing 1,000 — a race it initially looked like he would not even be allowed to skate.
“I’m glad they overturned it,” Groothuis’ coach Jac Orie said. “I just hope we can get rid of this ridiculous rule.”
The ban on crossing the line was introduced this year despite complaints from skaters.
Groothuis’ disqualification and reinstatement stoked debate about scrapping it.
Olympic 1,500-metre champion Mark Tuitert of the Netherlands, who is not competing at these championships, tweeted: “Please someone within the ISU stand up and get rid of this linerule!”