Long Track Speed Skating

Kristina Groves has won a bronze medal for Canada.

The Ottawa native placed third in the Ladies 3,000-metre event at the Richmond Oval on Saturday.

The Czech Republic's Martina Sablikova took the gold medal, while Germany's Stephanie Beckert won the silver in the seven-and-a-half lap race.

Sablikova, the three-time reigning World Cup champion, won in four minutes, 2.53 seconds, while Beckert took the silver at four minutes, 2.09 seconds.

"This is wonderful, the 22-year-old Sablikova said. "I don't know what to say. I was so nervous. I am very happy to be here as these are my second Olympics. It's still sinking in that I won."

Ottawa's Groves faced Beckert in the 13th race of the day, placing a time of four minutes, 04.84 seconds. A fourth ranked skater in the world in the discipline, she came into these Winter Olympics with two silver medals in the 1,500-metre race and the team pursuit at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin.

"Realizing it and having the crowd realizing with me was special," said Groves."I wasn't really sure [my time] was going to hold up. For me I knew I could do it, but you never really know."

Canadian Cindy Klassen was thrilled with her teammates medal victory.

"It was a phenomenal race for [Groves]," Klassen said. "She did so well. It was a gutsy performance and I'm just so excited for her."

Standings and Results | Performance Analysis

Winnipeg's Clara Hughes skated to a fifth place finish, placing a time of four minutes, 06.01 seconds.

Although her specialty is the 5,000-metres, the 37-year old raced the 3,000m in this year's World Cup season; placing fifth, seventh twice and eighth. She's also a gold medal winner in the 5,000-metre at the 2006 Torino Olympics.

"That was one of the best 3k races I have ever done," Hughes said. "I did to the best of my ability and that crowd was incredible. I heard Cindy [Klassen] racing and I knew we will never see this again, so I just wanted to soak it in. It was beautiful."

Klassen skated against Catherine Raney Norman of the United States. The Winnipeg-born native finished the race with a time of four minutes, 15:53 seconds to place 14th.

"It was incredible. Even while I was warming up, the crowd was so loud and energetic and almost tears came to my eyes," Klassen said following her race. "It was emotional. It was pretty amazing."

The 3,000m is not considered Klassen's specialty; her best World Cup result before the Games was ninth place. Coming off double knee surgery in 2008, her bid to regain the form she had in Turin four years ago is still very much a work in progress.

Dutch defending champion Ireen Wüst was on a winning pace midway into the final pairing but was bumped off the podium and placed eighth.

The race was delayed at the mid-point break in competition. During ice resurfacing following the seventh pairing, there was a problem with the Olympia ice resurfacer causing it to leak water and slush. The clean up delayed the races by more than 10 minutes as crews allowed time for both lanes to reach the same ice temperature.

Results in the women's Speed Skating 3,000m at the Richmond Oval:

1. Martina Sablikova (CZE) 4:02.53
2. Stephanie Beckert (GER) 4:04.62
3. Kristina Groves (CAN) 4:04.84

4. Daniela Anschutz Thoms (GER) 4:04.87
5. Clara Hughes (CAN) 4:06.01
6. Masako Hozumi (JPN) 4:07.36
7. Ireen Wust (NED) 4:08.09
8. Maren Haugli (NOR) 4:10.01
9. Nancy Swider-Pelz Jr. (USA) 4:11.16
10. Renate Groenewold (NED) 4:11.25
11. Diane Valkenburg (NED) 4:11.71
12. Jilleanne Rookard (USA) 4:13.05
13. Katrin Mattscherodt (GER) 4:13.72
14. Cindy Klassen (CAN) 4:15.53
15. Shiho Ishizawa (JPN) 4:15.62
16. Anna Rokita (AUT) 4:16.42
17. Catherine Raney Norman (USA) 4:16.59
18. Svetlana Vysokova (RUS) 4:16.91
19. Noh Seon-Yeong (KOR) 4:17.36
20. Galina Likhachova (RUS) 4:17.63
21. Eri Natori (JPN) 4:18.18
22. Wang Fei (CHN) 4:18.42
23. Lee Ju-Youn (KOR) 4:18.87
24. Luiza Zlotkowska (POL) 4:19.13
25. Fu Chunyan (CHN) 4:20.62
26. Park Do-Yeong (KOR) 4:20.92
27. Catherine Grage (DEN) 4:20.93
28. Katarzyna Wozniak (POL) 4:22.35