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Dutch sweep to open speed skating world championships

Sven Kramer and Ireen Wuest swept the opening races of the world single distance speed skating championships at the PyeongChang Olympic venue on Thursday, continuing Dutch dominance in the sport.

Kramer won the men’s 5000m, and Wuest captured the women’s 3000m, just as both did at the Sochi Olympics.

Kramer prevailed by 2.51 seconds over countryman Jorrit Bergsma, who memorably upset Kramer in the 2014 Olympic 10,000m. They’ll go head-to-head in the world championships 10,000m on Saturday. New Zealand’s Peter Michael took bronze.

Wuest nipped Czech rival Martina Sablikova by six tenths of a second on Wednesday, with the Netherlands’ Antoinette de Jong in third.