Wataru Morishige wins men's 500m at All Japan Speed Skating Championships

Olympic medalist Wataru Morishige secured his second consecutive title in the men's 500m event at the 33rd All Japan Speed Skating Distance Championships. Competing at M-Wave in Nagano, Morishige finished with a time of 34.72 seconds, successfully maintaining speed through the latter half of the race after a 9.66-second opening 100 meters.

In the women's events, Momoka Horikawa claimed victory in the 3000m, marking her second consecutive title. Kurumi Inagawa took second place in the women's 500m with a time of 38.08 seconds. The competition saw the absence of Tatsuya Niihama, who withdrew due to a lumbar disc herniation.

Morishige noted that while he achieved the win, he still faces technical challenges regarding stability in the corners. He credited his recent training, including a joint camp with the Canadian national team in Canada, for his progress.