|
TOKYO, Nov. 25-- Japanese skater Nao Kodaira completed a weekend hat-trick with gold in the ladies 1000m on Sunday and the Dutch women won the team sprint of the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup Speed Skating at Tomakomai, Japan. Kodaira took her third gold medal of the weekend with a track record time of 1 minute and 17.31 seconds in the ladies' 1000m. Brittany Bowe of the United States set the time of 1:17.65 in pair versus Miho Takagi of Japan, finishing second. Dutch skater Ireen Wust, who won the 1500m on Saturday, was fourth in 1:17.83. Vanessa Herzog of Austria sprinted faster than Wust with 1:17.77, collecting a bronze medal. Isabelle Weidemann surprised the ladies' endurance field on Sunday. The 23-year-old Canadian clinched her first career individual World Cup medal, winning the 3000m and setting a track record time of 4:10.18. The Italian skater Francesca Lollobrigida clocked the second best time in 4:13.47. In the final pairing Martina Sablikova defied the wind and skated 4:13.00. The Czech endurance specialist, who finished third last week, pushed Lollobrigida to third place, but left the top spot on the podium to Weidemann. Her pair-mate Natalya Voronina of Russia came fourth in 4:14.47. After a bronze medal in last week's team sprint, the Netherlands started in a different line-up. With Letitia de Jong replacing Femke Beuling to accompany Janine Smit and Jutta Leerdam, the Dutch ladies took gold in 1:32.10. | 
