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Wang Beixing wins 500m at Berlin Skating World Cup
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-09 08:20
Chinese sprinter Wang Beixing on Saturday overcame German rival Jenny Wolf to claim the title of women's 500m at Speed Skating World Cup in Berlin.

Wang Beixing of China competes in a women's 500 metre heat at the Speed Skating World Cup in Berlin November 7, 2008. [Agencies]

Wang, who lost to Wolf in Friday's 500 by a mere 0.006 second, clocked 37.91 to beat Wolf by 0.03 second. Wolf, a world record holder, had not lost since last December.

Joji Kato of Japan set a track record in winning a 500-meter race. Kato finished in 34.70 seconds to edge China's Yu Fengtong by 0.37.

The Netherlands swept the first four places in the men's 1,500 meters, with Sven Kramer winning in 1 minute, 45.69 seconds.

Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic won the women's 3,000 in 4:03.70, ahead of Germany's Daniela Anschutz Thoms, who finished in 4:07.08.

Nevertheless, world champion Jeremy Wotherspoon from Canada suffered a broken upper left arm after crashing at the shield.

Wotherspoon, the world record holder in the 500 meters, was carried off the ice on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital after crashing on the last turn of the race.

On November 9, 2007 Jeremy skated a new world record on the 500m. The new world best time is 34.03 seconds.