Germany Takes Gold in Women’s Team Pursuit Speed Skating By 0.02 Seconds

In the finals of women’s team pursuit speed skating, Germany’s Daniela Mattscherodt, Stephanie Beckert, and Daniela Anschutz Thoms defeated Japan’s Masako Hozumi, Nao Kodaira, and Maki Tabata for a 0.02-second victory.

Amazingly, an even more ridiculous scene came in the semifinals, in which Germany reached the gold medal race with Anna Freisinger-Postma falling on the home stretch, then sliding across the finish line on her belly. The racer collapsed in agony as she crossed the finish line, believing she’d cost her team the race, then reacted like a death row prisoner getting a last-minute stay when the scores were posted. Freisinger-Postma couldn’t continue, and Mattscherodt had to step in. Heck of a way to win, eh?