By Pearl Josephine Nazare
MILAN, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Czech teenager Metodej Jilek produced the race of his life to beat a powerful field and seize 10,000 metres gold on Friday, delivering the Czech Republic their first speed skating title of these Winter Olympics.
Jilek was joined on the podium by Poland's Vladimir Semirunniy who claimed silver while Dutchman Jorrit Bergsma took bronze.
Nineteen-year-old Jilek, who won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2025 ISU World Speed Skating Single Distances Championships,
clocked 12 minutes 33.43 seconds to finish 5.65 seconds clear of Semirunniy, underlining his emergence as one of the sport's most exciting prospects.
His victory made him the Czech Republic's second Olympic champion of these Games, following Zuzana Maderova's triumph in the women's parallel giant slalom on Sunday.
It also marked the nation's second speed skating medal in Milano Cortina, after Jilek claimed silver in the 5,000m on Sunday.
Competing in his first Olympics, Jilek faced a stacked field that included newly crowned 5,000m Olympic champion Sander Eitrem, France's Timothy Loubineaud, Semirunniy, and 10,000m world record holder Davide Ghiotto of Italy - all considered strong contenders after standout World Cup campaigns.
Drawn in the penultimate pair of the six-pair programme, Jilek started in the inner lane alongside 2018 Pyeongchang 10,000 champion Ted-Jan Bloemen of Canada and quickly settled into a smooth, controlled rhythm.
He never looked in doubt and ultimately lapped Bloemen, who is two decades his senior.
Jilek had been forced to settle for silver behind Eitrem in the 5,000m, but there was no repeat of that heartbreak on Friday.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Milan; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
