Hokkaido high school student Maki Tsuji set a junior world record in winning the women's 1,000 meters Saturday and emerged the women's overall leader after three events in the speedskating junior world championships.
Tsuji of Shirakaba Gakuen high school in Hokkaido won the 1,000 meters in 1 minute, 19.34 seconds to lead women's overall standings with 123,236 points.
Tsuji was also second in the 500 meters (40.71) and ninth in the 1,500. Elma de Vries of the Netherlands is second in the women's rankings with 123,538 points after finishing second in the 1,500 while 500-meter winner Juith Hesse of Germany is in third.
Tsuji's Shirakaba Gakuen high school mate Eriko Ishino won the 1,500 meters in 2:05.23 to move into fourth place in the overall rankings with 123,763 points. In the men's competition, Shingo Doi, also from Shirakaba Gakuen, finished seventh in the 1,500 meters with a 1:53.46 to stand in sixth place overall after three events.