The Czech Republic's Martina Sablikova has been on fire in Vancouver. The 22 year old surprised everyone with a bronze medal in the 1,500 metres to go with her gold-medal performance in the 3,000. And she hasn't even raced her specialty yet -- the 5,000 metres.
Here is a look at the competition in the women's 5,000-metre speed skating race, which starts on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET:
The Contenders
The Czech Republic's Martina Sablikova has been on fire in Vancouver. The 22 year old surprised everyone with a bronze medal in the 1,500 metres to go with her gold-medal performance in the 3,000. And she hasn't even raced her specialty yet -- the 5,000 metres. The World Cup leader has won the past three 5,000-metre world championship titles. Look for Germany's Stephanie Beckert, who finished second in the 3,000 metres on Feb.15, to also make a run at the podium.
The Top Five (World Cup standings)
1. Martina Sabilikova, CZE, 460
2. Stephanie Beckert, GER, 430
3. Daniela Anschutz-Thoms, GER, 315
4. Kristina Groves, CAN, 290
5. Masako Hozumi, JPN, 222
Canadian Medal Hopes
Kristina Groves is Canada's best bet for a medal, though the 5,000 is not her strongest race. She is fourth in World Cup standings and finished behind Beckert and Sablikova in the 3,000-metre race.
The Dark Horse
While Canadian flag-bearer Clara Hughes has yet to medal at the Winter Olympics so far, she is the defending gold medallist in the 5,000 metres. This will probably be her last race for Canada in her 20-year career as she is set to retire at the end of the Games.
