This season of speed skating, Nao Kodaira finished second with a time of 37.74 in the women's 500 meters in the first World Cup match.
The first round of the World Cup in speed skating this season began on the 12th in Poland.
The Japanese national team did not participate in the World Cup last season due to the influence of the new coronavirus, so it will be the first time in two seasons to participate in the World Cup.
Of the competition on the first day, Pyeongchang Olympic gold medalist Kodaira, who participated in the women's 500 meters, was behind in the 100 meters from the start as the ninth overall, but in the second half he got on the speed with a low center of gravity. He finished in 37.74 and finished second.
The winner was Erin Jackson of the United States with 37.61.
Kodaira said, "I had a good feeling of tension in the international competition after a long absence. The first 100 meters was late so I would like to correct it. The result was 2nd place, but I enjoyed the race and had a lot of harvest." ..
In the men's 500 meters, Japanese record holder Tatsuya Shinhama finished second with a time of 34.54 seconds.
The winner was Gao Tingyu of China who marked 34.26 seconds.
A total of four speed skating World Cups will be held through December, and each country or region will be assigned a quota for the Beijing Olympics, which will start in February next year.