Sven Kramer Disqualified In Men’s Speed Skating 10,000m, Lee Awarded Gold

After last night’s 10,000m speed skating fiasco and the ensuing sideline unpleasantness, you might think Holland’s Sven Kramer had had it with coach Gerard Kemkers. But Kramer told the Associated Press he has no plans to rid himself of the man whose error brought him Olympic infamy:

“The past years were simply too good to drop someone just like that,” he said on the morning after Kemkers sent him into the wrong lane as he seemed headed to victory in the 10,000 in his usual dominating style. The error was so rare it defied belief.

“Such things can happen to the best of us, but also to the biggest amateurs,” Kramer said Wednesday after a training session for the team pursuit.“Amateur” would be a great way to describe what happened to Kramer on the ice, but just the same, we’re glad these two crazy kids worked it out.

Holland’s Sven Kramer skated the fastest time in the Men’s Speed Skating 10,000m Tuesday afternoon, blowing everyone else away by a full four seconds. And then he was disqualified.

Kramer, the world record holder and three-time world champion in the event, turned in the fastest time, but failed to switch lanes after the midway point of the race, and as a result, was disqualified.