Short-track speedskaters Satoru Terao and Yuka Kamino comfortably booked their places in the upcoming Winter Olympics after winning the national championships on Monday.
Terao won the men's 1,000 meters for his third victory in the two-day championships and became the overall winner for a record ninth time, while Yuka Kamino completed a sweep of the women's four races for the third straight year.
Terao clocked 1 minute, 31.164 seconds in the 1,000 to add to the 1,500 and 500 victories he claimed the previous day. The 30-year-old veteran collected a total of 104 points after four races, 49 clear of second-place Takafumi Nishitani, who won the 3,000 in 5:28.210 Monday.
Kamino won the women's 1,000 in a meet record of 1:34.423 and 3,000 in 5:37.617, a day after taking a 500 and 1,500 double, on her way to a total of 136 points. Chikage Tanaka took second in all four races and finished runnerup with 84 points.
Based on the results at the national championships and the single-distance national championships held earlier this month, the Japan Skating Federation said later Monday that Terao, Nishitani, Hayato Sueyoshi, Yoshiharu Arino and Takahiro Fujimoto will represent the country in the men's short-track races in the Turin Olympics.
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