RICHMOND, British Columbia (AP) – South Korea’s Lee Sang-hwa is the surprising leader after the first heat of women’s 500-meter speedskating at the Richmond Olympic Oval.
German world-record holder Jenny Wolf and China’s Wang Beixing came in Tuesday as the clear leading contenders, having swept all eight races during the World Cup season. But Lee topped the field in 38.24 seconds, and Wolf is the only one within striking distance at 38.30. Wang is far back in third at 38.48.
The top American is Heather Richardson, competing in her first Olympics. She’s ninth at 38.69.