Skater Kuipers loses bronze medal – Update

Speed skater Simon Kuipers, who was awarded the bronze medal in the 1000 metre event on Sunday at the world championships in Calgary, has been demoted to fifth place.


The jury says that Kuipers’ time was clocked with a skate that was not on the ice. His real time – 0.03 of a second slower – was clocked by his second skate.
Dutch team coach Jac Orie reacted furiously. ‘It’s physically impossible to finish a race with one foot off the ice. You’d end up on your ear,’ he told the AD newspaper. Despite the fact that footage from Dutch sports tv NOS shows both Kuipers’ skates on the ice, the jury is refusing to reconsider its decision.
On Friday Kuipers won the 1500 metre race. The following day Sven Kramer set a new world record for the 5000 metres.

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