Takagi leads Japanese 1-2-3 at world allround speedskating

BERLIN (AP) Miho Takagi led a Japanese 1-2-3 in the women's 500 meters at the speedskating world allround championships on Saturday.

Takagi clocked 38.93 seconds, edging compatriots Misaki Oshigiri by 0.02 and Ayaka Kikuchi by 0.41.

Denis Yuskov of Russia won the men's race in 35.84, Norway's Havard Bokko was 0.34 behind in second, and Poland's Konrad Niedzwiedzki 0.40 behind in third. Yuskov then retired from the rest of the competition with a groin injury.

Defending champion Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic defeated Dutch rivals Ireen Wust and Antoinette de Jong to win the women's 3,000 in 3:58.11.

Wust was 1.32 seconds behind, and de Jong was 4.77 behind, ahead of Russia's Natalya Voronina and Dutch teammate Linda de Vries.

Sablikova is bidding for her fourth allround title.

Sven Kramer of the Netherlands won the men's 5,000 in 6:14.13 - 2.76 ahead of Sverre Lunde Pedersen of Norway and 3.67 ahead of Dutch teammate Jan Blokhuijsen.

Kramer is bidding for his record-extending eighth world allround title.