HEERENVEEN, Netherlands (Kyodo) Joji Kato's miserable week grew worse on Sunday after finishing a season-worst 14th in the men's 500 meters to end the campaign at third place in the World Cup standings.
Kato, who had to win Sunday's race to have any chance of capturing the overall title, cut a time of 35.45 seconds, well behind the winner, South Korea's Lee Kyou Hyuk, who came home in 35 seconds flat.
The victory allowed Lee to surpass Kato on the table to snare silver. Another Korean, Lee Kang Seok, who was third on the day, won the championship with 845 points and a 100-point lead over his compatriot.
"My body just wouldn't move," Kato said. "I was terrible this week. I need to snap out of it fast or I won't be able to focus on the next meet."