news-record.com

HEERENVEEN, Netherlands -- High Point speedskater Heather Richardson finished fifth in the 500 meters Friday on the first day of the ISU World Cup championships at Thialf Arena.

Germany's Jenny Wolf won the event in 38.18 seconds. Margot Boer of the Netherlands was second in 38.22, and countrywoman Annette Gerritsen was third in 38.67. Richardson, the top U.S. skater in the race, finished in 38.90.

Richardson and the rest of the field will skate another 500 race today, after which the final standings for the World Cup season will be determined. Richardson is ninth in the 500 after Friday's race.

She will skate the 1,000 meters Sunday, when she will look to improve on her eighth-place ranking in the World Cup standings in that event.

Richardson, who is now based in Salt Lake City, is continuing to build on her first Winter Olympic Games in which she finished sixth in the 500, ninth in the 1,000 and 16th in the 1,500 in Richmond, British Columbia. Richardson, 20, is not entered in the 1,500 at the World Cup finals in Heerenveen.

U.S. skater Shani Davis won his third title of the season at 1,500 meters Friday, and teammate Tucker Fredricks finished second in the 500 to keep his lead for the World Cup title in that event.

Davis finished in 1 minute, 45.20 seconds. Denny Morrison of Canada was second in 1:46.12 and Kjeld Nuis (1:46.61) of the Netherlands was third. Davis had already clinched the 1,500 overall title.