Short track-Velzeboer wins women 1000 metres for dominant Dutch, Fontana fourth

MILAN, Feb 16 : Dutch skater Xandra Velzeboer won the women's short track 1000 metres race on Monday, claiming her second individual gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics and extending the Netherlands' dominance of the competition.

Canada's Courtney Sarault came second and South Korea's Kim Gil-li took the bronze. Italy's Arianna Fontana finished fourth, missing out for now on what would be an Italian record 14th Olympic medal.

A tight race saw Sarault and Velzeboer battling for the lead in the early stages, while the veteran Fontana slipped slightly off the pace and was unable to close the gap on  Kim for third place.

On Thursday, Velzeboer took the women's 500 metres gold.

She has matched compatriot Jens van 't Wout who has also claimed two golds in the men's races at these Games.

Velzeboer, 24, also set a world record in the 500 metres competition during the qualifiers on Thursday.

Canada's Sarault won the bronze in the 500 metres competition last week,  when Fontana won the silver.

(Francesca Landini and Gianluca Semeraro, editing by Keith Weir)