Hughes second after eventful week on speedskating circuit

There's no need to feel the roof is falling in on Winnipeg's Clara Hughes, even if it actually might have.

Canada's two-time Olympic speedskating medalist put on a strong performance Saturday to take second in the women's 5,000 metres behind winner Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic at a World Cup event in Kolomna, Russia.

Kristina Groves of Ottawa was fifth and Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg was sixth.

The event had been moved earlier in the week when engineers in Moscow found major structural problems with the roof suspension system at the nearly new Krylatskoye Ice Arena.

With the victory, Sablikova leads the overall standings in the 3,000-5,000 metre division with 300 points, ahead of four-time Olympic champion Claudia Pechstein of Germany (180) and Hughes (170).

This was the third stop on the nine-event World Cup tour.

Hughes claimed silver in speedskating's team pursuit at the Olympics in Turin last year, to go with two bronzes she won in cycling at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games and a bronze in speed skating at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.

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