Speed skating: Takagi wins 2nd straight 1,500 World Cup crown

BEIJING (Kyodo) — Japan’s Miho Takagi captured her second straight 1,500-meter World Cup gold Friday at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval.

The 29-year-old finished in 1 minute, 55.52 seconds on the same track where she won four Olympic medals in February last year. China’s Han Mei crossed the line 0.40 back for silver, while countrywoman Li Qishi claimed bronze in 1:57.01.

Takagi leads the overall standings after also winning the season-opening 1,500 race last weekend in Hokkaido.

“Continuing to win is worthwhile, but my initial speed wasn’t good enough and there’s more I can do,” Takagi said. “I feel motivated moving forward from here.”

In the men’s 500, Wataru Morishige won gold and Yuma Murakami silver in a 1-2 finish for Japan.

The 23-year-old Morishige clocked 34.72 seconds at the Ice Ribbon, where he won Olympic bronze over the same distance. Murakami finished 0.10 back, while South Korea’s Kim Jun Ho rounded out the podium in 35.00.