Lane-switching gaffe costs Kramer gold medal

RICHMOND, British Columbia (AP) -- With a couple of laps to go in a race he was a lock to win, Sven Kramer sensed something might be wrong. He glanced toward his girlfriend in the stands, surely expecting a big smile.

Instead, her face was buried in her hands.

"I thought this is not good," Kramer said.

It wasn't.

After crossing the line faster than anyone in the 10,000m, Kramer learned he skated the final eight laps in the wrong lane Tuesday. The amateurish blunder could be blamed on his coach but, in the end, the greatest long-distance speed skater in the world paid for the mistake in the worst way.

No gold. No silver. No bronze. Nothing.

He flung away his orange-rimmed glasses in disgust after learning his coach, Gerard Kemkers, sent him to the wrong lane on a changeover with a certain victory in sight. The Dutchman was disqualified and Lee Seung-hoon of South Korea got the top step on the podium with a time that was more than 4 seconds slower than Kramer's.

"It is pretty hard now," Kramer said. "I was on my way to make the right decision and right before the corner, I changed my decision because of the advice from the . At the end of the day, it is my responsibility. I am the skater on the ice. I have to do it."

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=441364.html#what+happened

Oh no! What a shame. But a rookie mistake, I would think.

I really felt for him. His coach made the bad call, Sven had chosen the correct lane. He did win the gold in the 1500 over Shani. But you know how crazy those fans are; I wouldn't want to be that line coach. Dana ; )

Kramer is a distance specialist.

That 10,000 is huge in the Netherlands, same as the Australians prioritize the 1500 meter swimming in every Summer Olympics.

BTW, I posted a clip of the Kramer disqualification on YouTube but instantly received notification that my video is blocked worldwide due to copyright infringement. :mad:

It was another Dutch skater who took the gold in the 1500, my bad :blush:. Yeah NBC's Iron Curtain is making me a little crazy, I'll be drinking vodka for breakfast soon. Dana ; )

given what it takes to maintain one's discipline while going around in circles, primarily racing against the clock. I hope they don't find his coach floating in a canal, after they return home.

at minimum. Wow, that was a terrible call. Dana ; )

Link here http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/24022010/58/winter-olympics-lane-gaffe-costs-kramer-glory.html


Skobrev, matched against Kramer in the final pairing, said he was stunned to notice the Dutchman in the same lane ahead of him as he charged around the turn.

"I suddenly saw him in front," said Skobrev. "It's not only about racing, not only about your shape, your muscles, your body feelings. It's about your head.

"Today he had huge pressure from all the Dutch fans, from his sponsors and he made the mistakes," the Russian said.

"It happens. I feel really bad about it because it was his gold, his Olympic Games."

"But now in one case I think it's good because he will work harder and harder for the Olympics in Sochi," added Skobrev about the 2014 Games in his home country. "It will be a huge event and I will try to kick his ass."
:rofl: