TOKYO, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Bart Swings of Belgium won his first ever 5000m World Cup title in the ISU World Cup Speed Skating race in Tomakomai, Japan on Sunday.
After Saturday's medal sweep in the 1500m, the Dutch men dominated the 1000m again on Sunday. Kjeld Nuis clinched the gold again and Thomas Krol collected another bronze. 2017 World Sprint Champion Kai Verbij grabbed the second, joining Nuis and Krol on the podium.
Nuis skated versus Krol in the second last pairing and both men clocked the time under 1:11. The Olympic Champion finished in 1:10.45 and his team mate crossed the line 0.46 seconds later. Only Verbij and Havard Lorentzen of Norway came close in the final pairing. The Dutchman finished in 1:10.72, and the Norwegian Olympic silver medalist finished in 1:11.06 for fourth place.
Bart Swings became the second Belgian to win a 5000m World Cup title after Bart Veldkamp in 1999. Swings set a track record time of 6:34.85 in the first pairing of the men's longest distance and nobody managed to come close.
The last week's winner Patrick Roest of the Netherlands took on compatriot Marcel Bosker in the penultimate pairing. The Dutchman started faster than Swings, but couldn't maintain his high pace halfway through the race and bit in the dust with 6:37.32. Norwegian Sverre Lunde Pedersen edged out Roest for silver in 6:36.86 in the final pairing.
In the men's team sprint race, Russia ran away with victory in 1:23.64, just 0.10 seconds ahead of the Dutch team. Canada took the bronze medal in 1:24.23.
