Speed Skating

Ye Qiaobo of China twice defeated American Bonnie Blair in sweeping the 500- and 1,000-meter races as the Speed Skating World Cup began at Karuizawa, Japan.

Ye, silver medalist in the 500-and 1,000-meters at last February’s Albertville Winter Olympics, won the 500 meters in 40.35 seconds. Blair was timed at 40.88.

Ye then won the 1,000 meters in 1:23.18. Blair was clocked at 1:23.46.

Igor Zhelezovsky of Belarus, 1991 and 1992 world sprint speed skating overall champion, swept both men’s races. American Dan Jansen finished third in the 500 meters and fifth in the 1,000 meters.