BEIJING -- Canada won speedskating gold in women's team pursuit Tuesday after a skater for defending Olympic champion Japan fell on the final turn.
Japan appeared to be heading for a second straight gold medal in the event, holding a lead of about 0.3 seconds with a half lap to go. But the final athlete in the three-skater train, Nana Takagi, lost her balance and skidded into the padding coming through the final turn.
That allowed the Canadian trio of Ivanie Blondin, Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann to pull out the victory in dramatic fashion.
Takagi got up and crossed the line far behind her two teammates, finally registering a time for Japan. She was in tears as she was consoled by her sister, Miho Takagi, and the other member of the Japanese team, Ayana Sato.
Canada won with an Olympic-record time of 2 minute, 53.44 seconds. The Japanese settled for silver, more than 11 seconds behind.
The Netherlands beat the Russian Olympic Committee in the bronze-medal final.
A Dutch team that included individual gold medalists Irene Schouten and Ireen Wust, joined by Marijke Groenewoud, led all the way to finish in 2:56.86. They were more than 2 seconds ahead of the Russians.