Japan's Shihomi Shinya notched her second win of the season when she coasted to victory in the women's 500 meters on the opening day of a World Cup speed skating meet in Salt Lake City on Friday. Shinya tore round the Olympic Oval in a time of 37.88 seconds to defeat China's Wang Manli, who finished in 38.01 while Japan's Sayuri Osuga took third in 38.10.
Also for Japan, Sayuri Yoshii set a junior world record by finishing 10th in 38.45, one place ahead of compatriot Tomomi Okazaki. In the men's 500, world record holder and Olympic double medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu clocked 34.59 and had to settle for second behind Canadian rival Jeremy Wotherspoon, who prevailed with a winning time of 34.49 for his third consecutive win of the season.
Russia's Dmitry Lobkov (34.83) was third while Japan's Joji Kato and Tadashi Obara finished sixth and 12th. In the men's 1,000 meters, Erben Wennemars won in 1:07.63 ahead of fellow Dutchmen Gerard van Velde and Beorn Nijenhuis while the women's 1,000 was won by American Jennifer Rodriguez in 1:14.06.