Rather than spreading himself too thin, Sven Kramer decided to skip the 1,500m, the Associated Press reports.
Kramer already won the 5,000m gold, but he has a lot on his plate as he sets his sights on an elusive 10,000m gold while also hoping to bring in gold for the Netherlands in the team pursuit.
He said as much on Twitter Wednesday:
A very tough decision, but I have decided not to skate the 1500 m race. This to stay focused on my 10000 m and the Team Pursuit event.
— Sven Kramer (@SvenKramer86) February 12, 2014
The 27-year-old already has five Olympic medals to his name, with two golds. He could very well push that outstanding total to seven, and if things go really well, maybe four golds.
It’s clear that he believes he can bring home the most medals by shooting for one fewer than originally expected.