Japan wins women's team pursuit at speedskating World Cup in Nagano

NAGANO – Japan’s women claimed their first team pursuit victory of the season in front of a home crowd on Sunday, the final day of the ISU World Cup in Nagano.

The country’s trio of skaters, sisters Miho and Nana Takagi, and Ayano Sato, crossed the line in 2 minutes and 56.37 seconds at M-Wave ice arena to beat Canada by 1.44 seconds. Russia clocked 3:02.39 for bronze.

In other races at the season’s fourth World Cup event, Japan’s reigning Olympic champion Nao Kodaira took bronze in the second women’s 500-meter race with 37.50.

Russia’s Angelina Golikova won with a time of 37.24 and Austria’s Vanessa Herzog claimed silver with 37.45.

On Friday, Kodaira won the first women’s 500-meter race and captured her 30th World Cup gold.

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