Japanese team sets speedskating world record
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Japan’s Miho Takagi, Ayana Sato, and Nana Takagi, from left, celebrated setting a new world record during the women’s team pursuit race of the Speedskating World Cup at the Thialf ice rink in Heerenveen, Netherlands, today.
HEERENVEEN, Netherlands >> The Japanese women’s team set a world record in the team pursuit in the first speedskating World Cup of the season today, edging the eight-year-old mark of Canada.
Nana and Miho Takagi and Ayano Sato pulled out a big last lap to clock 2 minutes, 55.77 seconds, and improve the 2009 mark of Canada by .02 seconds.
The Japanese also beat the Dutch world and Olympic champions.
The Dutch were also out of luck in the men’s team pursuit where they finished only 10th, way behind the overwhelming South Koreans.
