Speed Skating at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games:

For nearly a decade, the world record had been in the hands of Christa Rothenburger, who had won the Olympic gold in 1988 with her 1:17.65. At the Calgary World Cup in December 1997, the record was lowered to 1:16.07 by Catriona Le May Doan, only to be bettered by Chris Witty the very next day. The third skater to have won international competitions that season was Franziska Schenk (Germany), winner of 3 World Cup races and bronze medalist at the 1997 Worlds. After her victory in the 1,500 m, Marianne Timmer was also highly considered. She had taken the 1997 World Championships, and was one of the early adopters of the clap skate, but had not yet medaled internationally in the Olympic season.

After 16 pairs, the former World Record and Olympic Record by Rothenburger was still unbeaten. But 500 m champion Catriona Le May Doan again bested the old record, clocking 1:17.37. This was enough to hold off Sabine Völker (second at the World Sprints), but not Timmer. She trailed her opponent, Schenk, at the first split, but Schenk fell in the next corner. Timmer then improved on Le May’s time by 8 tenths, lowering the Olympic Record to 1:16.51. The only remaining contender was Chris Witty, who matched Timmer’s split times, but not her final lap, to finish in 1:16.51. Timmer’s victory made her the third woman to double in the 1000 and 1500 m at the same Olympics, after Skoblikova (1964) and Enke (1984).