RICHMOND, B.C. -- Give the lady her due.

She certainly knows how to make an exit.

Clara Hughes, skating in her final Olympic race, set the early target with a 6:55.73 and it stood up, enough to win her a bronze medal, an emotional day for the defending champion in the 5,000.

As expected, Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic, peerless in the women’s distance races, claimed gold in 6:50.91. Germany’s Stephanie Beckert won silver.

Ottawa’s Kristina Groves, another solid hope and in search of a fourth medal after collecting a bronze and silver in the 3,000 and 1,500 races, timed out at 7:04.57 and out of the money.

The medal Canada’s total in long-track to four, with the team pursuits still to be contested. The Canadian women are world record holders and heavily favored, while the men are in with a good chance to reach the podium.

Hughes’ skate was only 2.2 seconds slower than her best-ever time, a 6:53.53 in Salt Lake City way in 2002. Considering that she skated at sea level, an astonishing performance.

A fifth-place showing in the 3,000, not her strongest distance, had pumped Hughes full of confidence for Wednesday’s race.

The medal was her sixth medal from both the Summer (2) Winter (4) Games.

The 2006 silver medalist in the 5,000 at the Oval Lingotto, Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg, skated a 7:22.11 in the first pair of the competition.