Gold: Derek Parra

Derek Parra set a world record in the 1,500 meters to claim Olympic gold Tuesday, becoming the first double-medalist for the Americans at the speedskating oval.

Parra's stunning time of 1 minute, 43.95 seconds was more than a second lower than the pre-Olympic mark of 1:45.20 held by South Korea's Lee Kyu-hyuk.

Parra, a former inline skater from San Bernadino, Calif., added to the surprising silver he won in the 5,000.

Jochem Uytdehaage of the Netherlands, who won gold in the 5,000, took the silver this time. He was the first skater to break the world record, but his time of 1:44.57 was the best for only about half an hour.

In the 5,000, Parra was the first skater to break the world record, only to have the Dutch skater take the mark even lower.

Norway's Adne Sondral, the defending 1,500 champion, made a late charge to steal the bronze away from American sprinter Joey Cheek, who was on world-record pace until fading badly on the final lap.

The Americans have won seven medals in seven long-track events, just one short of their best performance ever with three events still to go.

If you count Apolo Anton Ohno's short-track silver, the Americans have equaled the mark of the 1980 team, which was dominated by Eric Heiden's five gold medals.

Parra became the third American speedskater to win gold, joining Casey FitzRandolph and Chris Witty.

Parra blew kisses to the crowd and pointed towards his family members, who wore "Team Parra" sweatshirts. When he spotted his wife, Tiffany, he mouthed, "I love you."

She wasn't in the arena when her husband won his surprising silver in the 5,000. She watched on television from their Florida home with their newborn daughter Mia Elizabeth.

This time, Tiffany Parra was in the stands to see an even better skate by her husband.

After Parra took part in the medalists ceremony, he bounded off the podium - still in his clap skates - to embrace his wife, the couple breaking down in tears as they embraced for nearly a minute.

"I knew it," said his brother Gilbert Parra, who cheered from the stands on the front straightaway. "It's his time. Nothing can stop him now."

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