1.
LV: Galina Stepanskaja of USSR (wearing black) starts against Sylvia Filipsson Sweden (wearing blue) in a 1,000 metre race.
0.06

2.
SV PAN: racing in progress with Stepanskaja leading
0.18

3.
SV: crowd
0.20

4.
LV PAN: finish of race won by Stepanskaja.
0.30

5.
TV: timekeepers
0.33

6.
SV PAN: Racing in progress between Tatjana Averina USSR (wearing yellow) gloves nearest camera) and Valentine Colovenkina, (USSR) (3 shots)
0.47

7.
SV PAN: finish of race with Averina winning
0.57

8.
SV: crowd
1.01

9.
SV: Averiana, Kim Kostron, USA, and Sylvia Burke, Canada, on winners rostrum for 1,000 metres race.
1.10

10.
TV: Norwegian skaters watching.
1.12

11.
LV PAN: start of the 3,000 metre race between Averina (wearing yellow gloves) and Stepanskaja
1.18

12.
TV: racing in progress with Stepanskaja leading PAN TO Averina.
1.32

13.
TV PAN: finish of race won by Stepanskaja PAN TO Averina coming second.
1.44

14.
SV: skaters and crowd watch (2 shots)
1.49

15.
SV: Averina receiving world champions laurels with Stepanskaja and Marion Dittmann of East Germany on rostrum.
1.55



Initials RH/0215


SPORT: SPEED SKATING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: At the Oulunkyla Ice Stadium in Helsinki the second and final day of the World Speed Skating Championships for Ladies ended on Sunday night (5 March) with Soviet winning the first two placings. The winner of the gold medal was 1976 Olympic champion, Tatjana Averina, who was making a comeback after missing a season's skating after breaking a led last year.

SYNOPSIS: Conditions at the new Oulunkyla Stadium were ideal for skating on the second day of competition, with the 1,000 and 3,000 metre events being staged. Here former world champion, Galina Stepanskaja of the U.S.S.R. leads the Swedish champion, Sylvia Filipsson, over a 1,000 metre time trial.

Stepanskaja had an extremely successful championships. She finished second in the 3,000 metres, fifth in the 500 metres and a time of one minute 30.50 seconds gave her sixth place overall for this 1,000 metre event.

Soviet skaters dominated the competitions. Here Tatjana Averian, winner of two gold medals at the Innsbrcuk Olympics, has the lead over compatriot, Valentine Colovenkina, in the 1,000 metres.

Miss Averian, now completely recovered from a broken leg, won the race and the event with a time of one minute 29.56 seconds.

Final Placing for the 1,000 metres were Averina, first - Kim Kostrum U.S.A., second and Sylvia Burke, Canada third.

The final event, the 3,000 metres saw another close tussle between the two Soviet champions, Averina and Stepanskaja.

Stepanskaja lead to the finish to clock a time of four minutes 54.27 seconds for second place in the event with Averina finishing four seconds behind.

However, Averina's lead on points gave her the overall championship from Stepanskaja and Marion Dittmann of East Germany.