Three golds for Poland as Brodka sneaks Sochi speed skating win
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
15.02.2014 17:06
Poland's Zbigniew Brodka beat Netherlands' Koen Verweij into second place by just 0.003 of a second to take gold in the Men's Speed Skating 1500m on Saturday.
Zbigniew Brodka of Poland and Shani Davis of the USA react after the Men's 1,500m Speed Skating event in the Adler Arena at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, Sochi, Russia, 15 February: photo - EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE
Both Pole and Dutchman recorded times of 1.45,006, though Brodka was adjudged by officials to have edged out his rival by the smallest of margins.
Zbigniew Brodka of Poland (R) competes Shani Davis of the USA during the Men's 1,500m Speed Skating event: photo - EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE
Canada's Denny Morrison took bronze.
After the dramatic finish, the 29 year-old from Głowno, Lodz province, became the first Pole in history to stand on the podium in a Winter Olympic speed skating 1500m.
Brodka now joins ski jumper Kamil Stoch and cross country skier Justyna Kowalczyk in Poland's gold rush so far at the Sochi Games.
Poland's other representative, Jan Szymanski placed 15th.
With three golds Poland was 10th in the medal table on Saturday afternoon. (pg)