HEERENVEEN, Netherlands - Kristina Groves of Ottawa won her second consecutive 1,500-metre race Saturday to take an early lead in the women's World Cup speedskating standings.
Groves, who also won in the season-opening Berlin meet on Nov. 7, posted a time of one minute, 57.22 seconds to edge Daniela Anschuetz Thoms of Germany, who was second in 1:57.91.
Christine Nesbitt of London, Ont., was third in 1:58.08.
Shannon Rempel and Brittany Schussler, both of Winnipeg, were eighth and ninth respectively.
Groves now has 200 points, 60 ahead of Anschuetz Thoms and 85 ahead Nesbitt.
Japan's Joji Kato claimed the men's 500 in 34.82 seconds, 0.23 in front of Yu Fengtong of China. Finnish sprint specialist Pekka Koskela finished third, 0.27 behind.
Germany's Jenny Wolf reaffirmed her supremacy in the women's 500, clocking 37.64 seconds to beat rival Wang Beixing of China for the third time this season. Wang, who upset Wolf in Berlin, was second in 37.74.
Also Saturday, Sven Kramer of the Netherlands won the 5,000 in 6:14.32, just a week after dominating the same event at Berlin.
Fellow Dutchman Carl Verheijen was second in 6:20.18 while Italy's Enrico Fabris placed third in 6:20.20.
