GANGNEUNG -- After finishing fourth at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the Japan women's speed skating pursuit team went through a series of challenges and setbacks to narrow the gap between itself and the champion Netherlands. That all bore fruit Wednesday, when Japan beat the Dutch team in the final of the Pyeongchang Games for its first title in the event.
The trio of Miho Takagi, her sister Nana, and Ayano Sato skated 2,400 meters in 2 minutes 53.89 seconds at the Gangneung Oval to set an Olympic record and edge the Netherlands by 1.59 seconds. Japan beat Canada in the semifinals earlier in the day.
The title brought Japan's medal tally at Pyeongchang to 11, breaking the nation's Winter Games record of 10 set at the 1998 Nagano Games. The Takagis became the first Japanese siblings to win a gold medal at a Winter Olympics.
"This victory couldn't have been achieved without the work of all the members," said Miho Takagi, 23, who got the silver medal in the 1,500 meters and the bronze in the 1,000 meters at Pyeongchang. "This was our best race to date. All I thought about was beating the Netherlands -- I burned with that goal. I'm delighted to win."
Said 25-year-old Nana: "So many Japanese people have supported us. We've turned that support into a source of strength."
Sato, 21, said: "I became nervous to a level I have never experienced before. I nearly fell during the race."
Ayaka Kikuchi, 30, who was replaced by Sato in the final after skating in the semifinals, said she felt as if she were skating with the three in the last race.
"This is the best moment in my skating career," she said.
Skaters go around the 400-meter oval six times in the women's race with the idea that the leader of the pack alternates to make it easier on the other teammates.
The competition was tight: Japan took the lead at the start, but the Netherlands moved in front midway through the race. However, as Miho Takagi again switched to the front of the pack, Japan regained its advantage toward the end to cross the finish line first.
The key to team pursuit is the rotation of the leader. In the last season, Japan cut its number of rotations from four to three to decrease time lost doing the change. In the semifinals, Kikuchi remained in the lead position for an extra 200 meters, allowing Miho to conserve her energy for the final.
"This gold medal has been won by all of us. I'm overwhelmed with emotion," Miho said.
Japanese fans at the site shouted with joy when Japan won.
"I witnessed a historic moment," said Akiko Matsumoto, 41, from Tokyo. "It was really worth coming here."
"I'm so moved that I can't think of anything," said her friend Yuki Nanamori, 41, also from Tokyo. "Japanese skaters might not be as good as Dutch skaters in terms of physical build and power, but they were better as a team."
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