Victories for Davis and Sablikova in Hamar

By Sportsbeat staff

TWO-TIME Olympic champion Shani Davis stormed to the top of the ISU World Cup speed skating rankings with a fine 1500m victory in Hamar, Norway.

FLYING HIGH: Two-time Olympic champion Shani Davis moves to the top of the overall rankings with victory in Hamar

The 29-year-old, who has seven world titles to his name, romped to victory, clocking a winning time of 1:47.08 minutes - 0.13 seconds ahead of home skater Havard Bokko.

Davis' win, his first of the season, earned him 80 points, taking his overall tally to 260 and with previous leader Ivan Skobrev of Russia only managing eighth place, and with it 36 points, the American now holds a 22-point lead.

Third in Norway was the Netherlands' Stefan Groothuis, 0.34 behind Bokko, while another Dutchman Kjeld Nuis remains in third place in the overall rankings.

Meanwhile, in the women's 3000m, Czech Republic's Martina Sablikova continued her irrepressible form, chalking up her fourth straight win since the season began.

The 24-year-old, who won two gold medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics, easing home in 4:05.88 minutes - a full 0.54 seconds ahead of Germany's Stephanie Beckert while the Netherlands' Irene wust completed the podium in third.

Sablikova now holds a commanding 130-point lead in the overall standings ahead of Germany's Claudia Pechstein while Beckert is in third on 210.

© Sportsbeat 2012