NAGANO, Japan — Defending champion Michael Mulder of the Netherlands won the men’s 500-meter race at the world sprint speedskating championships on Saturday.
Mulder clocked a time of 34.83 seconds to finish 0.36 seconds ahead of Daniel Greig of Australia. Mirko Giacomo Nenzi of Italy was third with a time of 35.27 seconds.
Shani Davis of the United States was 11th with a time of 35.58.
Jing Yu of China won the women’s 500 with a time of 37.67, 0.33 seconds ahead of Margot Boer of the Netherlands. Defending champion Heather Richardson of the United States was third with a time of 38.04.
The world sprint speed skating championships features 50 of the fastest sprinters in the world competing in the 500 and 1,000 metre races.
Denis Kuzin of Kazakhstan won the men’s 1,000 with a time of 1 minute, 09.37 seconds, edging Davis by 0.07 seconds. Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands was third in 1:09.56.
Hong Zhang of China won the women’s 1,000 event with a time of 1:15.17, edging Boer by 0.14 seconds. Jing Yu of China was third in 1:15.61.
It was a poor day for Canada’s Christine Nesbitt. The London, Ont., native finished fifth in the 1,000 in 1:16.42 and well back in 15th in the 500.
William Dutton had Canada’s best result. Dutton, from Humbolt, Sask., was fourth in the 1,000 in 1:09.89. Quebec City’s Alexandre St-Jean was 10th, Winnipeg’s Tyler Derraugh was just behind in 11th and Laurent Dubreuil of Levis Que., trailed in 13th.
In the men’s 500, Dutton finished fifth in in 35.37 seconds. Dubreuil as ninth while Derraugh tied for 16th.
The skaters who start in the inner lane on Saturday will start in the outer lane on Sunday to have equal circumstances for everyone.
