Halfway, Contin is half a lap slower than Hirako, who tries to attack the Japanese record. But at 8000m Hirako passes a bit slower than Lehmann, who managed laptimes not slower than 32.0, finishing with 31.7 and 30.5.  Hirako goes into a 3.6, but then manages to get back to 3.4, 3.0, 2.8, 2.5 and 2.3, which is not enough to improve his pb. With 13:28.05 he is two tenths away from that. Alexis Contin with 13:52.15, must be disappointed. Maybe Tristan Loy can do better. Yes, there are more French guys here than Kazakhs.

But Babenko does well, here. He is a bit faster than Lehmann, until 8000m. But then Loy gets back. Where Babenko slips into the 33.1, Loy has 32.2. Babenko gets a 32.3, but the Frenchman 32.0. And then at 9200m Loy takes the lead, with another 2.0, where Babenko falls down to 3.8. He picks up with 2.7 and 1.8, but Loy is the winner here, with 1.6 and 0.9 reaching that national record: 13:24.05 is his new NR. Babenko finishes in 13:27.30.

The Germans are good. We see that in the race between Weber and Hedrick, if we didn't see it with Lehmann. Chad opens fast, 35.16, then 1.7, twice 1.6, 1.4, 1.8, 1.6, 1.8, 1.7, but then after 4000m it's the 32s: 1, 1, 3, 4... while Weber from that point goes from teh 32.0 to 32.0, 1.8, 1.8, 1.7. Again, Weber wins on Chad, when Chad has 2.8 and Weber 1.9. An inner for Weber and a 1.8 lap bring him almost side by side with Hedrick, who has 33.0 now. 8.36, they pass. But then Chad has the inner and goes faster: 31.7, Weber 32.1. Then Weber comes again with a 2.1, where Hedrick has 2.6. It's getting exciting.  Hedrick through the inner has a 1.6 lap, while Weber skates just another 2.1. Then Hedrick has 2.3 and Weber 1.6, they are side by side again. This is really fun. The stands are heard. Hedrick has a 1.2 while Weber shakes his head after a 1.4, and still not having overtaken fully. Finally he comes. Down to 1.3, Hedrick 2.0. Hedrick doesn't want to lose, and takes the lead back through the inner. Hedrick skates a 30.1 lap, Weber 31.0. The audience starts to appreciate it, almost falls off their stands. Weber finally gives in, Hedrick  31.0, Weber 31.5, and a 32.0 for both: 13:20.69 is the leading time now, Weber skates a pb by 10 seconds: 13:21.83. The two leading times.  Chad, coached by Derek Parra now, seems to need a long time to recuperate. 

Just when the atmosphere is great, there is an ice preparation break. After that (from 3:48) we get Bøkko-Rykkje (one and a half Norwegian, pbs 13:14 and 13:16), Dankers-Röjler (pbs 13:10 and 13:08), Kramer-Grødum (12:49 and 12:56) and finally Verheijen-Ervik (12:55-12:59).

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Bøkko opens fast. Both skaters seem to aim for a personal best. And are faster than Hedrick. Opening 34.15 and 34.41 for Rykkje. Bøkko continues 0.3, 1.3, 1.1, 1.3, 1.3, 1.7 and 1.4, Rykkje 0.9, 1.2, 1.7, 1.3, 1.2, 1.0, 1.3. Rykkje comes closer after another 1.1, Bøkko 1.4. They are four seconds faster than Hedrick. And five, with 1.1 (NOR) and 1.0 (NED). Then Rykkje takes the lead, with a 0.9, where the young Norwegian has a 1.5. Another 1.1 for Rykkje, and 0.9, already 10 seconds faster than Hedrick. 13.10 would be a great pb for the Dutchman who isn't sure of continuing next season. Two more 0.9s, a 1.0, Bøkko does 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, 1.8, 2.0... Rykkje is on the schedule of Romme's championships record, continuing with 1.2, 1.4, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, 1.7..stil three seconds faster than Romme's CR of 13:08.71. With the bell, 12.33.86, he finally has a 32.1, and he beats his personal best with about 10 seconds, finishes in a new CR of 13:06.03. Bøkko finishes almost unnoticed after a series of 32 laps in 13:17.50.

The next two skaters don't start as if they expect to beat Rykkje. Dankers starts a bit faster, but after 3600m Röjler leads and Dankers goes back to the 31 laps (31.6). Röjler is between 31.5 and 31.9, with only two 32.1s in the beginning. Then after 6000m, While Röjler is at a very steady pace, Dankers starts to increase his speed to a 1.2 and a few 1.4s, and he takes over the lead again. At 8000m, Arne's laptime is 31.0, Johan Röjler stays at 31.7, and then the difference increases rapidly with laps of 30.3, 30.2 by Dankers. 12:09.69 after a 0.7, and another 0.7. No pb, not the fasetst time, but 13:11.25 is the second time so far. Röjler has no lap slower than 32.1, and no lap faster than 31.5 and is now fourth with 13:18.89.

Pfff.. and now Sven Kramer with Grødum. It's not bad what Grødum does, but Sven has him on five seconds after 1600m. Long strokes, 33.13, laps 9.8, 0.4, 0.1, 0.2. two second below WR pace. The 2000 went in 2:33.73. Grødum 2:39.87. Kramer continues 0.2, 0.4, 0.3, 0.6, 0.3 at 4000m passing in 5:05.80, Grødum 12 secondds slower. Another 0.5, Sven is four seconds below the WR. 0.5, while Grødum ddrops to his first 32. 0.6, five seconds below WR. He continues to build his advantage with 0.7, 0.7 passing at 7:38.97 after 6000, Grødum 7:58.56. Kramer 0.5, 0.6, six seconds under WR, which stands at 12:49.88. 0.3, 0.5, he may get to 12;42, or faster if he can increase his speed. 0.5 again, he almost overtakes Grødum, passes the 8000 at 10:11.61, then overtakes Grtødum with 0.3. A laptime of 29.9. He wants to be under 12:40, he has mentioned. He will... laptime 0.2., 9.8 12:12.04, one lap to go! Sven finishes in 12:41.69, a fenomenal race with a 9.6 last lap! Grødum has one lap to go, finishes in 13:22.84, 9th for now. Kramer was really awesome! Out of this world!

'Quiet please, no flash photography', at all starts there are volunteers holding up these signs. While people applaud for Sven, who lowered the upper part of his skin suit, grabs a drink, sits down and takes his skates off. 

Rykkje might get a medal, is still second. We can't compare any skater with Kramer, so let's compare Verheijen and Ervik with Rykkje. They pass at 2000m in  2:38.98 and 2:40.19, Rykkje had 2:39.78. Verheijen keeps his laps under 31. Ervik is just little above 31. At 3200, they both have a 31.0. At 4000, Carl has 5:13.73 (lap 0.8), Ervik 5:15.72 (lap 1.2). 5:15.55 was Rykkje's passing. So the last medal will be exciting... Eskil is still slower than Rykkje and his laps go off. Verheijen is only little faster. At 6000, Rykkje had 7:50.48, Verheijen 7:48.30, Ervik 7:54.34. Eskil slows down, Verheijen is a little faster, we are heading for an all-Dutch podium. Eskil presses with his hands on his upper legs to help his legs through the 33 laps. Rykkje had at 8000 10.26.92, Carl 10.22.84, and it will be hard for Eskil with both hands on his knees and a painful face and now a 4.7 lap to not be last.
Now Ervik stands up, stretches his back, goes down again, a 4.4 lap. Verheijen is at a pace of just below 13 with low 31 laps, but he finishes with a 2.3 lap and 13:00.46: silver. Eskil, after that stretching of his back getes back to a few 32 laps, finishes in 13:28.51. No, he can't skate good this weekend.

So 1: WR KRamer, 2 Verheijen, 3 Rykkje. Dankers is fourth, Bøkko, Røjler, Hedrick, Weber complete the first 8.

Kramer is 19 seconds faster than the number two, which is Verheijen, who obviously recovered from his backproblems at the 5000m.