Dutch continue imperious start at Speed Skating World Cup in Minsk

Krol glided to glory in a track record one minute 9.001 seconds on the Belarusian ice, extending his already glittering career that also saw him win the World Single Distances Championship in Inzell earlier this year.

And the Netherlands' success did not end there, with Jorrit Bergsma also scooping first place in the Mass Start after holding off Korea's Chung Jaewon with a time of seven minutes 50.36 seconds.

Bergsma flew off the line to deliver a searing lap under intense pressure, with Chung winning silver and Korean compatriot Um Cheonho claiming bronze.

And Ireen Wust made it a super Saturday for the Dutch as she won gold in the women's 1500m by nearly half a second, stopping the clock at one minute 56.468 seconds to hold off the threat of Russia's Yekaterina Shikhova.

There was a gold medal in the Russian camp on day two of the competition, however, as Olga Fatkulina set a track record of 37.92 seconds in the women's 500m final to beat compatriot Daria Kachanova to the line.

And Japanese skater Nao Kodaira claimed bronze in the event, capping off an absorbing day of action that was nevertheless dominated by the Dutch talent on display.

The Speed Skating World Cup concludes on Sunday, with several more events set to be contested and more records likely to be broken in what promises to be a pulsating day of action.

Sportsbeat 2019