Dutch set Olympic record in team pursuit qualifier

Speed Skating - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Team Pursuit Competition - Gangneung Oval - Gangneung, South Korea - February 19, 2018. Marrit Leenstra, Ireen Wust and Antoinette De Jong of the Netherlands in action. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

GANGNEUNG, South Korea (Reuters) - Defending champions the Netherlands set an Olympic record of 2 minutes and 55.61 seconds in the women's team pursuit quarter-finals on Monday to lead the standings ahead of Japan, Canada and the United States.

All four teams kept their medal hopes alive heading into Wednesday's semi-finals and final at the Gangneung Oval.

The Dutch will be paired with the U.S. in the first semi while Japan race Canada, with the two fastest teams going through to the final.

Speed Skating - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Team Pursuit Competition - Gangneung Oval - Gangneung, South Korea - February 19, 2018. Marrit Leenstra, Ireen Wust and Antoinette De Jong of the Netherlands in action. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Racing in the first pair with hosts South Korea, the Dutch trio of Marrit Leenstra, Ireen Wust and Antoinette de Jong shaved 2.44 seconds of the record set by the Dutch team at the Sochi Games four years ago.

Speed Skating - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Team Pursuit Competition - Gangneung Oval - Gangneung, South Korea - February 19, 2018. Marrit Leenstra, Ireen Wust and Antoinette De Jong of the Netherlands in action. REUTERS/Phil Noble

(Reporting by Simon Jennings, editing by Ed Osmond)