Speed skating: Tatsuya Shinhama leads Japanese men’s 500 sweep at World Cup

OBIHIRO, Hokkaido (Kyodo) — Tatsuya Shinhama led a Japanese podium sweep in the men’s 500 meters Friday as the speed skating World Cup season got under way in Hokkaido.

Shinhama clocked 34.52 seconds to win by 0.17 from Wataru Morishige, with Yuma Murakami rounding out the medals 0.30 back at Meiji Hokkaido-Tokachi Oval in Obihiro.

Continuing a successful opening day for the host country, Masaya Yamada won the men’s 1,000.

He crossed the line in 1 minute, 8.35 seconds, beating China’s Ning Zhongyan to the gold by 0.19. Jordan Stolz of the United States took bronze in 1:08.78.

Japanese Olympic star Miho Takagi had to settle for silver in the women’s 1,000, finishing 0.11 slower than Dutchwoman Jutta Leerdam’s winning time of 1:14.57.