Speedskater Denny Morrison misses Canadian record with fourth place race

HEERENVEEN, Netherlands -- Denny Morrison narrowly missed becoming the most successful Canadian athlete at the ISU long track speed skating world single distance championships, as he finished fourth in the men's 1,000-metre event on Saturday.

The Fort St. John, B.C., native skated to a time of one minute 8.72 seconds, his best this season at the international level, to hold first place with four pairs of skaters remaining. Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis, however, completed the race in 1:08.71 to take away the bronze from the Canadian Olympian.

"It's frustrating to be so close, waiting to find out if the result is going to hold or not and having it slip away right at the end... But I've had my share of close wins as well through the years, where others have felt what I felt today," said Morrison.

"In the end, this will serve as motivation for next year, and the following seasons as well."

American skater Shani Davis won the race in 1:08.57 while Russia's Pavel Kulizhnikov came up with silver in 1:08.61.

Friday, Morrison won the ninth individual medal of his career at the world single distance championships by coming up with a silver medal in the 1,500. That tied him with Jeremy Wotherspoon and Kristina Groves for most all-time individual medals by Canadian skaters at the event. He will now have to wait until next year's competition for a chance to move ahead alone.

Three of Morrison's nine lifetime medals at the worlds have been won in the 1,000. He collected silver in 2009, bronze in 2008 and silver in 2007. He also won silver in the men's 1,000 race at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Morrison comes away from this year's World Championships with two medals, having won a silver in the men's team pursuit in addition to the 1,500.

Canada also finished fourth in the women's pursuit as Ottawa's Ivanie Blondin, Regina's Kali Christ and Josie Spence of Kamloops, B.C. skated to a time of 3:04.11-- a little less than a second away from a podium. Japan won it in 3:01.53, while silver went to the Netherlands (3:01.55) and bronze to Russia (3:03.19).