SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- German speed skater Claudia Pechstein gave herself a belated birthday present Saturday, setting a world record en route to another Olympic gold medal in the 5,000 meters and her second at the Winter Games.
Racing in the seventh of eight pairings, Pechstein glided around the record-setting Utah Olympic Oval in 6 minutes, 46.91 seconds for her third straight Winter Olympics 5,000-meter title.
A day after her 30th birthday, the 5-5 Pechstein broke the world record of 6:49.22 set earlier in the day by Greta Smit of the Netherlands. Pechstein had established the world mark in 1998 at Nagano.
"I watched Gretha while I was warming up," she said. "She had an incredible race with an amazing time. I knew I had to skate seven, eight, nine seconds faster than my personal best to win back the record."
Pechstein has made a habit of breaking competitors' hearts. She won gold in the 3,000 on Feb. 10, when two other women shattered the previous world record.
Saturday's race made it 10 world speed skating records eclipsed at this year's Games. Eight of the 10 events at the Oval produced new world marks.
"I'm not surprised," said Canadian Clara Hughes, who made history by winning the bronze medal behind Pechstein and Smit.
Several records were expected to be shattered at the Oval, where the high altitude has created rock-hard ice that creates less resistance for the skaters.
In the 10 races, 86 national records were set and 193 personal bests were established.
One was by Smit, who set the 5,000 standard early, skating in the first pairing with Lyudmila Prokasheva of Kazakhstan. Smit did not disappoint Dutch skating fanatics, clocking in at 6:49.22.
"I never expected to win a medal, this is just great," said Smit, who made the switch from marathon racing. "I had never thought to skate the 5,000 meters under seven minutes. When I did, I just hoped it would be enough for a medal, and it was."
Hughes barely missed the previous world record but still became just the fourth athlete to win a medal in the Winter and Summer Olympics. She claimed a pair of bronze medals in cycling at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
"I bike raced last summer," she said. "This is only my ninth month of skating, but I'm happy with the results. Everything I went through in cycling prepared me for this."
