The anthem starts unexpectedly fast...
In the first pairs the ice didn't look as good as in Calgary, again. All skaters finished a bit behind their personal best.

Choi 6:37.12, Gao 6:31.75. Contin was long on a schedule of a pb, but had to finish with two mid 32 laps and clocked 6:35.30, Chmura had 6:33.30.

Robert Lehmann is paired with Matteo Anesi. The Italian is on his way to a personal best, but like usual, in the last three laps he meets blackness and his laptimes went up from teh 30s  to 1.7, 1.9 and 2.5, so he misses his personal with 1.2 second.

Steven Elm skated a long row of 29 laps, until there were a few 30 laps, and in the end with 1.1, 1.7 and 2.5 he got off his pb track and just missed the fastest time of Lehmann (6.25.98) by 0.01.

Skobrev and Olde Heuvel was a great pair. Olde Heuvel started faster than Skobrev, their laptimes around 30.0. In the last four laps, Olde Heuvel slowed down a bit to 0.9 and eventually 31.3, to stay, like Anesi earlier, a second behind his pb on 6:19.09. But Skobrev manage to keep his laps even to the end, with a 9.9 in the prelast lap. He improved his personal best, as the first one on the 5000m, to 6:17.36, coming from 6:21.40.

Chad Hedrick starts out fast, normal for him. After a 8.4 laps, he goes on 9.2, 9.6 and 0.1, creating a two second lead over Justin Warsylewicz, whose start is 9.1, 9.8, 0.2. Then Hedrick goes to mid 30.5s and Warsylewicz gets closer. At 3000m they pass in the same time. But at 4:15... Hedrick falls! It seems he steps on a block coming out of the turn on the finishing straight. He gets up quickly, crosses the finishline only 3 seconds after Warsylewicz, but doesn't have any speed left. He starts trying and after a 36.2 and a 35.2 lap he gives up, finishes in 6:48.02. We learn this afterwards: the clock doesn't even recognise him. Warsylewicz does well, finishing with a hard last lap (31.5 still) in third place with 6:21.61. Ice preparation break.

Hirako versus Davis. Hirako wants to skate a national record, 6:22 thinks his coach (the record is 6:26, his pb is 6:27.) Shani starts skating away from him with long glides. Davis finishes in 6:23.05, not on the podium, but this year he hasn't done anything to improve the long distances. Hirako fails in his mission and finishes 0.02 above his pb, with 6:27.24.

Weber and Röjler: Again, no pbs. Weber finsihes in 6:30.18, Röjler in 6:25.21. 

Bøkko and Grødum: Bøkko seems on his way to a pb, but in the end everybody loses to the schedules. Though Bøkko'as 6:18.10 is the second time so far. Grødum is slower every lap and finishes in 6:22.66. The junior masters the senior.

Dankers wanted to be faster than last week, and it works in the beginning. But halfway it seems that he can't go back into the 29s that were possible in Calgary. He is also slower than Bøkko. But then, after 3400m he is back in the 29s. Where Schneider is much slower than everybody and has 34 laps, Arne has a 29.7 and three 29.5s and a 29.6 to the first good finish, and the new leading time, 6:15.39. Schneider is with a 35 and a 36 lap in 6:47.36 just a second faster than the guy who fell.

Eskil Ervik believes that Carl Verheijen is beatable. Everything within 3 seconds faster last week is beatable. But Carl takes the lead, but they both keep their 29s. It looks like Carl wants to challenge Kramer. He does 29.2, 9.2, 9.6, 9.4, 9.3, 9.4, 9.1, and then 29.5. Ervik was a few tenth slower each lap, but the last two laps here were 29.8 and 30.7. Where Carl continues with 9.8 and 0.3, Ervik dies to 31.9 and 32.8. Verheijen 30.3, Eskil 33.1. Verheijen finishes in 6:15.21, not that much faster than Dankers, who had the 29s in the last part. The last lap of Verheijen was 30.2. Eskil had another 33.1 and he is the slowest Norwegian in 6:29.77. 

The two fastest openers are in the last pair: Kramer 17.78 and 28.6, Fabris 18.53 and 28.7. But with a 29.7 and 29.5 F, 30.2 K., it doesn't continue so fast. No doubts; They are slower than Verheijen. 9.7 Kramer, 9.5 Fabris.
Kramer is in the lead again after a 9.4, where Fabris has a 9.5. Then Fabris gets to the side of Kramer while everyone holds his breath. Kramer had a 0.0, while Fabris had a 9.3.. The numbers one and two are here, so it seems. No world record. Kramer suddenly goes away, 28.5, surprising Fabris, who keeps it steady with 29.4. They continue like that: 8.7 Kramer, 9.6 Fabris; 9.0 Kramer, 9.5 Fabris. 9.5 Kramer, 9.5 Fabris. 0.0 Kramer, 9.6 Fabris. Indeed, they are one and two. Kramer wins in 6:10.70, Fabris takes silver with 6:12.53. Verheijen is third in the end with 6:15.21, Dankers fourth. Then Skobrev, Bøkko, Olde Heuvel and Warsylewicz.