Fish earns speed-skating gold, world record in 10,000m

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Canada’s Graeme Fish celebrates after the men’s 10,000 meters during the world single distances speedskating championships Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Kearns, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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Canada’s Graeme Fish competes in the men’s 10,000 meters during the world single distances speedskating championships Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Kearns, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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Canada’s Graeme Fish celebrates after the men’s 10,000 meters during the world single distances speedskating championships Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Kearns, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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Netherlands’ Jorrit Bergsma competes in the men’s 10,000 meters during the world single distances speedskating championships Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Kearns, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

KEARNS, Utah (AP) — Graeme Fish broke a world record on his way to winning his first long track speed-skating world championship.

Fish finished in 12 minutes, 33.86 seconds Friday to claim gold in the men’s 10,000 meters in the opening event of the second day of the ISU World Single Distances Championships at the Utah Olympic Oval. The 22-year-old Canadian eclipsed the previous world record of 12:36.30, set by fellow Canadian Ted-Jan Bloemen in 2015.

“I really wasn’t focused on getting the world record,” Fish said. “I just knew I needed to do this time or that time. I just kept going with the flow. Once I got comfortable, it kind of just went well for me.”

Bloemen joined Fish on the podium, taking silver with a time of 12:45.01. Germany’s Patrick Beckert earned bronze in 12:47.93.

Fish took bronze in the 5,000 meters on Thursday. Both podium finishes are the first for him at a world championship event.

“This gold medal means a little bit more to me than the world record,” Fish said. “It could have been done numerous times before I did it. We never really get to skate here for a 10K. It’s awesome. I can’t believe it.”

John Coon