Miho Takagi Shatters Records: Japan’s Speed Skating Star Claims 35th World Cup Gold!

Miho Takagi made history on Friday by claiming her 35th gold medal at the speed skating World Cup. This victory puts her at the top, surpassing previous Japanese greats Hiroyasu Shimizu and Nao Kodaira for the most individual golds in Olympic distance events.

Miho Takagi celebrates her win in the women’s 1,000 meters at the World Cup in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 31, 2025. (Kyodo)

At 30 years old, Takagi set a track record with a time of 1 minute and 13.56 seconds in the women’s 1,000 meters. This win marks her fourth straight victory in this distance at the World Cup this season.

American skater Brittany Bowe finished in second place, 0.67 seconds behind, while Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong from the Netherlands took third, finishing 0.21 seconds after Bowe.

This was also Takagi’s 11th win in the 1,000 meters World Cup. She’s known for her versatility, having won 23 times in the 1,500 meters and once in the 3,000 meters. Takagi is also the reigning gold medalist from the Beijing Olympics in the 1,000 meters event.

For context, Hiroyasu Shimizu ended his career with 34 World Cup gold medals, while Nao Kodaira secured 28 of her 34 golds in the 500 meters, with her other six in the 1,000 meters.