WINTER OLYMPICS/Speed-skating - Men's 5,000m: It was supposed to be a Dutch coronation, but instead the converted roller-skater Chad Hedrick stole the day at Oval Lingotto.

As with painting and soccer, the Dutch have long been recognised masters of distance rink racing, and they gathered in force on Saturday afternoon to cheer on Sven Kramer, the teenager from the farm who broke the world record in the lead-up to Torino. As it turned out, the straw-haired Dutchman had to content himself with silver, and was fairly straightforward when asked how he felt about it afterwards.

"Shit," he declared in a flat, European monotone, before breaking into a big smile.

"No, I gave everything. I have to be satisfied, so I am. Today was the best race I could to."

It was also the most lively sequence of a long and often hypnotic afternoon watching the speed merchants glide around the rink many, many times. Racing against compatriot Carl Verheijen in the 11th pairing of the afternoon, the big, soulless Oval Lingotto rink was transformed into a carnival of Dutch celebration and song.

"The Dutch are amazing," Kramer said, shaking his head, adding, as if it had just occurred to him, "they all come down here from Holland."

But there was nothing Kramer could do to prevent the ascension of the Texan Hedrick. As is often the case, the American claimed divine guidance afterwards.

As it turned out, Hedrick was grieving the passing of his grandmother just an hour before his scheduled race time and was so overcome with emotion that he had to climb into the public stands to seek out his family before hand. There were tears and hugs.

"I kind of felt like a sissy," admitted Hedrick afterwards.

After all, it was probably illegal for Texan men to weep for their grandmothers until recently. And it was not as if Ma Hedrick left the Panhandle any time recently. In fact, the good lady departed some 13 years ago. It was just that her anniversary occurred on the same day as her grandson's gold-medal race. Hedrick was just 17 then, and although he skated for fun on his roller-rink, it was nearly a decade later before he considered giving ice-speed-skating a shot. When he watched Derek Parra, whom he knew from inline skating, winning in Salt Lake City, he decided to follow the same path.

Such a casual transition is considered heresy among the Dutch, who rear their speed skaters from a very early age. But the combination of Hedrick's innovative technique, his patented skates (the Hyper Chad Hedrick Micro) and the Other World proved too much for the Dutch to contend with.

Hedrick says that when he felt tired with two laps to go, he thought of his grandmother.

"I think she was watching me and so I began to think of her and she pushed me like she used to."

Whatever works.

Hedrick could yet make a lasting impression on these games. He races in the 1,000 metres, the 1,500 metres and the team pursuit over the coming week. Whether he has an angel at his shoulder for those races remains to be seen.

Speed-skating - Men's 5,000m: Gold: Chad Hedrick (US) 6.14.68; Silver: Sven Kramer (Netherlands) 6.16.40; Bronze: Enrico Fabris (Italy): 6.18.25.