Ted-Jan Bloemen in contention at speed skating world allround championships
Sven Kramer looks for record-extending 8th title
Canada's Ted-Jan Bloemen is in podium contention at the speed skating world allround championships after ending the opening day in seventh.
The 29-year-old, from Calgary, rebounded from a disappointing 21st-place finish in the men's 500 metres to take fourth in the 5,000m later Saturday.
"My 5,000m was really good from the start. I was technically really strong. I blew up a bit at the end, but I plan to do that better next time," Bloemen said.
"I felt like my 500 wasn't bad, it's hard for me to do a fast 500m, because I usually only take part in the long distances."
Bloemen will compete in the 1,500m on Sunday and will attempt to stay among the top-eight athletes in overall standings, who will then take part in the final race of the weekend, the 10,000m.
It is in that distance that Bloemen set a new world record last November.
Denis Yuskov of Russia won the men's race in 35.84, Norway's Havard Bokko was 0.34 behind in second, and Poland's Konrad Niedzwiedzki 0.40 behind in third. Yuskov then retired from the rest of the competition with a groin injury.
After winning 500m Denis Yuskov (RUS) withdraws from rest of competition due to groin injury <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WAChBerlin?src=hash">#WAChBerlin</a> <a href="https://t.co/9cb0QnRQeF">pic.twitter.com/9cb0QnRQeF</a>
—@ISU_SpeedSven Kramer of the Netherlands won the men's 5,000 in 6:14.13 — 2.76 ahead of Sverre Lunde Pedersen of Norway and 3.67 ahead of Dutch teammate Jan Blokhuijsen.
Kramer is bidding for his record-extending eighth world allround title.
On the women's side, Ottawa's Ivanie Blondin heads into Sunday in 15th place. Blondin was 10th in the 500m and 16th in the 3,000m.
"I wasn't super satisfied with my 500m race," Blondin said. "I felt good, but my times weren't as quick as I would have liked. In the 3,000m, I came up with another race just like the one at the world single distance championships. I felt good all week, but my energy level at the time of the race simply wasn't there."
Miho Takagi led a Japanese 1-2-3 in the women's 500, clocking 38.93 seconds, and edging compatriots Misaki Oshigiri by 0.02 and Ayaka Kikuchi by 0.41.
Defending champion Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic defeated Dutch rivals Ireen Wust and Antoinette de Jong to win the women's 3,000 in 3:58.11.
Wust was 1.32 seconds behind, and de Jong was 4.77 behind, ahead of Russia's Natalya Voronina and Dutch teammate Linda de Vries.
Sablikova is bidding for her fourth allround title.
With files from the Associated Press