Dutch star Marianne Timmer, who departed the ice in tears after a 500m false start disqualification five days earlier, captured the women's speed skating 1,000m gold medal on 19 February (Day 9).

Timmer, who had not won an Olympic medal since Nagano 1998 gold at 1,000m and 1,500m, completed two and a half laps around the 400m Lingotto Oval in one minute 16.05 seconds to edge out Canada's Cindy Klassen by 0.04 seconds.

Germany's Anni Friesinger, the World Cup leader who helped Germany claim women's team pursuit gold, finished 3rd in 1:16.11.

Timmer set the time to beat in the 11th of 18 pairings, rewarding thousands of loud orange-clad Dutch supporters after her heartbreaking 500m exit, one that sparked complaints from Dutch officials about the starters.

Klassen, the reigning world champion at 1,500m and 3,000m, was denied Canada's first speed skating gold of the Games and 3,000m champion, 19-year-old Ireen Wust of the Netherlands was denied a medal, taking 4th in 1:16.39.

Twenty-nine-year-old Friesinger was 2nd at 1,000m at last year's world championships and will defend her 1,500m Olympic title from Salt Lake City 2002 on Day 12.

Dutch reigning world champion Barbara de Loor was 6th in 1:16.73 and world sprint champion Svetlana Zhurova, who won 500m gold, was 7th in 1:17.13.

AFP