Olympic Gold for Stefan Groothuis

Stefan Groothuis, the 2012 world champion sprint, won an Olympic gold medal on the 1,000 m skating. After his race the skater had to wait in uncertainty for all the other skaters to be done, before his suspicions were confirmed: that he had indeed won the race.

'Before my start I didn't pay attention to any of the times. I just wanted to give it my all,' said Groothuis, who realized this would be one of his last chances to win Olympic gold. Groothuis is grateful his coach, Jac Orie, never stopped believing in him, through injuries, illnesses, and even depression at one point. His wife was another unwavering supporter. During the race there were several instances when Groothuis thought he would not come out a winner. The Canadian, Denny Morrison came very close to Groothuis' time of 1.08,39, and earned the silver medal. While sitting on the bench waiting for his fate to be decided, Groothuis couldn't help but think the ice was so smooth, surely the former champion, the American, Sani Davis, would come in with a better time. Davis, who ran a disappointing race, only ranked eighth, but congratulated Groothuis, saying he was pleased Groothuis was his successor. Groothuis is fired up and now focuses on the 1,500 m on Saturday. He knows he has the speed, and even though a lot can go wrong and it's harder to win, he is determined to give it his all, again.