PHOTOS: The Best of Olympic Speedskating from Vancouver Olympics 2010
January 13, 2014
Laurine van Riessen (L) of the Netherlands passes Japan's Tomomi Okazaki in the women's speedskating 500m second race at the Richmond Olympic oval in Richmond, outside Vancouver, during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 16, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK ( OLY-2010-SSKATE )
US team members compete in the Men's team pursuit speedskating quaterfinals at the Olympic Richmond Oval in Richmond outside Vancouver, during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 26, 2010. AFP PHOTO SAEED KHAN ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-MEN-PURSUIT )
Silver medallist, US Shani Davis, competes in the Men's 1500m speedskating race at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Richmond outside Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 20, 2010. AFP PHOTO TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA ( OLY-2010-S-SKATE-MEN-1500 )
Simon Kuipers of The Netherlands waits for the ice preparation to finish during the first of two heats in the men's 500 meters race at the Richmond Olympic Oval at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. Problems with the machine that resurfaces the ice in between races at the speedskating venue have forced a delay during the men's 500 meters. Two are used to clean the ice, but the Richmond Olympic Oval was down to just one Monday because of problems with the other. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer) ( Vancouver Olympics Speed Skating )
Shani Davis of the US speeds to victory in the men's 1,000m speedskating event at the 2010 Winter Olympics at the Olympic Oval in Richmond, outside Vancouver, on February 17, 2010. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-MEN-1000M )
US winner Shani Davis celebrates on the podium during the flowers ceremony after the men's 1000m speedskating final at the Richmond Oval on February 17, 2010 during the Vancouver Winter Olympics. AFP PHOTO DIMITAR DILKOFF ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-MEN-1000M )
US Ryan Bedford reacts after competing in the Men's 10,000m speedskating race at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Richmond, outside Vancouver, during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 23, 2010. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF ( OLY-2010-OLY-2010-SSKATE-MEN-10000 )
Russia's Ivan Skobrev (3rd placed) celebrates during the flower ceremony after competing in the Men's 5.000 M Speedskating final race at Richmond Olympic Oval outside Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 13, 2010. AFP PHOTO / TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-5000-PODIUM )
South Korean Sang-hwa Lee celebrates winning the women's 500m speedskating event at the 2010 Winter Olympics at the Olympic Oval in Richmond, outside Vancouver, on February 16, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-WOMEN-500M )
Japan's Miho Takagi competes in the women's 2010 Winter Olympics 1,000m speedskating event at the Olympic Oval in Richmond, outside Vancouver, on February 18, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-WOMEN-1000M )
Netherlands' Ireen Wust performs in the Ladies' speedskating 1000m race at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Richmond outside Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 18, 2010. AFP PHOTO DDP DAVID HECKER ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-WOMEN-1000 )
Silver medallist, Netherlands' Annette Gerritsen (R), reacts after performing with Japan's Sayuri Yoshi in the Ladies' speedskating 1000m race at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Richmond outside Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 18, 2010. AFP PHOTO DDP DAVID HECKER ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-WOMEN-1000 )
Germany's Anna Friesinger-Postma (R) kisses teammate Stephanie Beckert after the German team won the gold medal in the women's 2010 Winter Olympics speedskating team pursuit final A at the Olympic Oval in Richmond, outside Vancouver, on February 26, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-WOMEN-PURSUIT )
Netherlands's Sven Kramer, left, is comforted after he was disqualified during the men's 10,000 meter speed skating race at the Richmond Olympic Oval at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. Lee Seung-hoon of South Korea won a stunning gold medal in men's 10,000-meter speedskating Tuesday when overwhelming favorite Sven Kramer made an amateurish mistake, failing to switch lanes just past the midway point of the race, and was disqualified. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer) ( Vancouver Olympics Speed Skating )
Mark Tuitert (R) of the Netherlands celebrates with the Dutch flag after winning the 2010 Winter Olympics men's 1,500m speedskating event at the Olympic Oval in Richmond, outside Vancouver on February 20, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Saeed KHAN ( OLY-2010-SSKATE-MEN-1500M )