Speed skating: Japan’s Wataru Morishige wins 3rd career World Cup men’s 500

OBIHIRO, Hokkaido (Kyodo) — Wataru Morishige won his third career men’s speed skating World Cup 500-meter race, with Japanese compatriot Tatsuya Shinhama finishing second on Sunday, the final day of the season-opening meet.

Morishige, the 2022 Beijing Olympic bronze medalist in the 500, crossed the line in 34.64 seconds, with Shinhama, the winner of Friday’s 500, 0.05 back. Jordan Stolz of the United States was third at Meiji Hokkaido-Tokachi Oval in Obihiro.

Momoka Horikawa was second in the 3,000, becoming the first Japanese woman to medal in the race in a World Cup meet since Miho Takagi earned a gold medal in December 2017.

Norway’s Ragne Wiklund won in 4 minutes, 1.88 seconds, with Horikawa 1.54 back and Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong of the Netherlands third.