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Shimizu wins 500 at nat'l sprint c'ships

CHINO, Japan - Speed skater Hiroyasu Shimizu wins the 500 in a rink-record 35.42 at the national sprint championships at Chino sports park skate center on Dec. 28.

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Former Olympic champion Shimizu at retirement ceremony

OBIHIRO, Japan - Nagano Olympic 500-meter gold medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu (2nd from R) holding a Japanese national flag skates with children during his retirement ceremony on March 6, 2010 in Obihiro, Hokkaido. He said the previous day he has truly enjoyed his life in competitive speed skating after drawing the curtain on a record-breaking career.

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Former Olympic champion Shimizu at retirement ceremony

OBIHIRO, Japan - Nagano Olympic 500-meter gold medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu poses for photographs with a Japanese national flag during his retirement ceremony on March 6, 2010 in Obihiro, Hokkaido. He said the previous day he has truly enjoyed his life in competitive speed skating after drawing the curtain on a record-breaking career.

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Former Olympic champion Shimizu reflects on memorable career

OBIHIRO, Japan - Nagano Olympic 500-meter gold medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu bows to reporters at the end of a press conference in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on March, 5, 2010, after drawing the curtain on a record-breaking career. During the press conference, Shimizu said he truly enjoyed his life in competitive speed skating.

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Former Olympic champion Shimizu reflects on memorable career

OBIHIRO, Japan - Nagano Olympic 500-meter gold medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu tries to hold back tears during a press conference in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on March 5, 2010, after drawing the curtain on a record-breaking career. During the press conference, Shimizu said he truly enjoyed his life in competitive speed skating.

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Former Olympic champion Shimizu reflects on memorable career

OBIHIRO, Japan - Nagano Olympic 500-meter gold medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu tries to hold back tears during a press conference in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on March 5, 2010, after drawing the curtain on a record-breaking career. During the press conference, Shimizu said he truly enjoyed his life in competitive speed skating.

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Japanese speed skaters arrive in Milan

MILAN, Italy - Wearing an anti-flu mask, Japanese speed skater Hiroyasu Shimizu arrives at Milan airport en route to Turin on Feb. 1.

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Speed skater Shimizu books place in next year's Winter Olympics

INZELL, Germany - Japanese speed skater Hiroyasu Shimizu finished second in the men's 500 meters at the world single-distance championships on March 4 in Inzell, Germany, booking a place in next year's Winter Olympics in Turin.

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(2)Shimizu victorious at World Cup

NAGANO, Japan - World record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu responds to audiences after winning his second 500-meter title in as many days in a World Cup meet at the M-Wave ice arena in Nagano on Dec. 5.

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(1)Shimizu victorious at World Cup

NAGANO, Japan - World record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu speeds to the finish line in the men's 500-meter in a World Cup meet at the M-Wave ice arena in Nagano on Dec. 5. Shimizu won his second title in as many days with a rink record of 34.95 seconds.

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(2)Speed skating: Shimizu, Wotherspoon tie in 500 at World Cup

NAGANO, Japan - Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada shares the top honors in the men's 500 meters with Japan's world record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu by posting identical times of 35.20 seconds on the opening day of a World Cup meet at M-Wave ice arena in Nagano on Dec. 4.

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(3)Shimizu, Wotherspoon tie in 500 at World Cup

NAGANO, Japan - World record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu (L) and Canada's Jeremy Wotherspoon chats with each other after sharing the top honors in the men's 500 meters by posting identical times on the opening day of a World Cup meet at M-Wave ice arena in Nagano on Dec. 4.

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(1)Speed skating: Shimizu, Wotherspoon tie in 500 at World Cup

NAGANO, Japan - World record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu waves at fans after sharing the top honors in the men's 500 meters with Canada's Jeremy Wotherspoon on the opening day of a World Cup meet at M-Wave ice arena in Nagano on Dec. 4. ''It's nice to win in front of home fans,'' said Shimizu later.

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Shimizu nails 1st win of season at Asama meet

MATSUMOTO, Japan - World record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu races in the men's 500 meter event of the Asama invitational meet at Asama Onsen International Skate Center in Nagano Prefecture on Nov. 27. Shimizu won the race.

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(7)Runners relay Olympic torch in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Nagano Olympic speed-skating gold medallist Hiroyasu Shimizu (R) lights the torch hold by Seoul Olympic swimming gold medallist Daichi Suzuki during the torch relay in Tokyo on June 6.

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Skater Shimizu named Olympic torch runner candidate

TOKYO, Japan - Speed skater Hiroyasu Shimizu (R), who won a gold medal in the men's 500 meters at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, and swimmer Daichi Suzuki (L), a gold medal winner in the men's backstroke at the Seoul Olympics, were named as candidates to be Olympic torch runners in the June 6 torch relay in Tokyo, Athens Olympics sponsor Coca Cola said April 6. They are among 15 Japanese selected as runners.

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Speed Skating: Shimizu defends men's crown at sprint nat'ls

NIKKO, Japan - Hiroyasu Shimizu skates in the men's 500 meters of the national speed skating sprint championships at the outdoor Kirifuri Skate Center in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, on Dec. 25. Shimizu captured his second consecutive title in the men's event of the championships.

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(2)Kato upstages Shimizu at single-distance nationals

NAGANO, Japan - World record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu finished third with a time of 36.07 in the first race of the 500 meters on the opening day of the single-distance speed skating championships at M-Wave ice arena in Nagano on Nov. 1.

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(1)Kato upstages Shimizu at single-distance nationals

NAGANO, Japan - Future prospect Joji Kato upstaged world record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu to take the first race of the 500 meters on the opening day of the single-distance speed skating championships in Nagano on Nov. 1. Kato carved up M-Wave ice arena to cross the line in 35.76 seconds to take the lead heading into second leg on Nov. 2.

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S. Korea's Lee takes gold in 1,000-meter speed skating

HACHINOHE, Japan - South Korea's Lee Kyou Hyuk (C), winner of the men's 1,000-meter speed skating Feb. 5 at the Winter Asian Games, is flanked by silver medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu (L) and Takaharu Nakajima (R), both of Japan, in an award ceremony at Nagane Park Speed Skating Rink in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture.

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Shimizu wins 500 meters in speed skating

HACHINOHE, Japan - World record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu, skating in the second race of the men's 500 speed skating in the Winter Asian Games on Feb. 3, grabs the gold with a combined time of 1:11.37 at Nagane Park Speed Skating Rink, in Hachinohe, northern Japan.

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Kawata wins inaugural World Cup 100 meters

KEARNS, United States - Japan's Tomonori Kawata (C) wins the inaugural World Cup 100-meter speed skating event at Kearns, Utah, on Jan. 10. Canadian Mark Nielsen (L) came second and Japanese Olympic double medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu (R) third.

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Shimizu wins 6th national sprint title

SAPPORO, Japan - Two-time Olympic medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu in action during the second round of the men's 500-meter race at the national speed skating sprint championships at Makomanai Ice Arena on Dec. 26. Shimizu completed a four-race sweep to win his sixth title at the national sprint.

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Wotherspoon wins 500-m World Cup speed skating

HARBIN, China - Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada (C) poses after winning the men's 500 meters in the World Cup speed skating event in Harbin, China on Dec. 14. Japan's Joji Kato (L) and Hiroyasu Shimizu (R) took second and third.

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(2)Wotherspoon wins men's 500

NAGANO, Japan - Canadian Jeremy Wotherspoon (C), the winner of the men's 500 meters in the speed skating World Cup circuit, poses for photographs on the podium at M-Wave ice arena in Nagano on Dec. 7, flanked by Japan's Hiroyasu Shimizu (L - second place) and Joji Kato (R - third place).

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Shimizu takes sprint double at Asama invitational

MATSUMOTO, Japan - Two-time Olympic medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu reacts after completing a sprint double when he won the men's 1,000 meters in a meet record at the Asama invitational on Dec. 1. Shimizu clocked 1 minute, 11.78 seconds to claim his first 1,000-meter victory in nine years at the annual meet, adding to the 500 title he won the previous day at Asama Onsen International Skate Center.

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Shimizu sets meet record to win Asama invitational

MATSUMOTO, Japan - Two-time Olympic medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu competes in the men's 500 meters of the Asama invitational at Asam Onsen International Skate Center in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, on Nov. 30. Shimizu won the race, clocking 35.41 seconds in the day's second race for a two-race total of 1 minute, 10.89 seconds.

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Shimizu wins 500 meters in skate season debut

SAPPORO, Japan - Hiroyasu Shimizu wins the men's 500 meters at the Makomanai invitational competition in Hokkaido on Nov. 23 in a meet record as the two-time Olympic medalist made his debut in the new speed skating season.

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Shimizu back in action from lower back injury

TOKYO, Japan - Hiroyasu Shimizu, a two-time Olympic medal-winner in speed skating, smiles at a news conference he gave in Tokyo after an hour of light workout July 12. Shimizu, who struggled with a pain in his lower back on his way to earning an Olympic silver medal in the men's 500 meters at Salt Lake City in February, put an end to the longest break of his career.

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Emperor, empress host spring party

TOKYO, Japan - Emperor Akihito (2nd from L) and Empress Michiko (L) host a spring party in Tokyo on April 23. The imperial couple talked to Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games medalists Tae Satoya (R) and Hiroyasu Shimizu (2nd from R) and J-League Chairman Saburo Kawabuchi (4th from R).

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Shimizu receives award from NEC, will not have surgery

TOKYO, Japan - Olympic silver medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu receives flowers and a special award from his employer, NEC Corp., on Feb. 28. Shimuzu said he would not undergo surgery for a sore lower back that may have cost him the gold medal at the just-concluded Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

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Shimizu looking to reclaim Olympic title in 2006

NARITA, Japan - Japanese speed skater Hiroyasu Shimizu arrives at Narita airport on Feb. 18, six days after his silver medal performance in the men's 500 meters speed skating at the Salt Lake City Olympics. Shimizu, the gold medalist at the Nagano Olympics, said he will try to reclaim the Olympic title in 2006.

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Silver medalist Shimizu meets the press

SALT LAKE CITY, United States - Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan holds up his silver medal at a news conference in the Main Media Center in Salt Lake City on Feb. 13. Shimizu won the medal in the men's 500 speed skating at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games on Feb. 12.

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(3)Shimizu 0.03 shy of retaining Olympic skating crown

SALT LAKE CITY, United States - Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan smiles at a news conference after winning the silver medal in the men's 500 speed skating at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City on Feb. 12.

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(2)Shimizu 0.03 shy of retaining Olympic crown

SALT LAKE CITY, United States - Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan waves at spectators after winning the silver medal in the men's 500 speed skating at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City on Feb. 12.

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Medal winners on the podium

SALT LAKE CITY, United States - Gold medal winner Casey FitzRandolph of the United States (C) poses in the flower presentation ceremony after the men's 500 meters speed skating, flanked by silver medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan (L) and bronze medalist Kip Carpenter (R), also of the United States.

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(1)Shimizu 0.03 shy of retaining Olympic crown

SALT LAKE CITY, United States - Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan gets off to one of his trademark rocket starts in the men's 500 meters at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City on Feb. 12. The world record holder could not carry it around the final bend and came up 0.03 second shy of defending his Olympic speed skating crown.

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Shimizu 2nd after 1st run of 500

SALT LAKE CITY, United States - Defending Olympic champion Hiroyasu Shimizu faltered at the start of the first leg of the men's 500 speed skating event, but still emerged with a second-place time of 34.61 seconds at the 19th Olympic Winter Games at Olympic Oval on Feb. 11.

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(2)Shimizu grabs share of 1st at world sprint meet

HAMAR, Norway - Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan waves to the crowd after sharing first place in the men's 500 meters with Casey Fitzrandolph of the United States on Jan. 20 at the speed skating world sprint championships at the Hamar Olympic Hall. ''It's been a long time since I've had this good of a start,'' said Shimizu, who has been struggling with a pain in his lower back throughout the first half of the season.

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(3)Shimizu grabs share of 1st at world spring meet

HAMAR, Norway - Hiroyasu Shimizu (R) of Japan raises his hand with Casey Fitzrandolph (L) of the United States after they share first place in the men's 500 meters on Jan. 20 at the speed skating world sprint championships at the Hamar Olympic Hall. Shimizu said he is looking ahead to the Winter Olympics opening Feb. 8 in Salt Lake City.

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(1)Shimizu grabs share of 1st at world sprint meet

HAMAR, Norway - Reigning Olympic champion Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan garners his first major win of the season on Jan. 20 with a share of first place in the men's 500 meters at the speed skating world sprint championships. Shimizu, who turned in a season-best 9.52 seconds over the first 100 meters, clocked 35.17 seconds at the Hamar Olympic Hall's indoor rink to share first place with Casey Fitzrandolph of the United States.

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Shimizu 13th at world sprint championships

HAMAR, Norway - Olympic champion and 500-meter world record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan skates in the men's 1,000 meters on the first day of the world speed skating sprint championships at Hamar Olympic Hall on Jan. 19. Shimizu had to settle for fourth in the 500 meters, missing out on a podium finish for the first time in 10 straight appearances in that distance, and closed the first day as Japan's highest placed men's skater in 13th with a total of 71.225 points.

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Shimizu leaves for Europe

NARITA, Japan - Nagano Olympic gold medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu leaves for Europe on Jan. 6 to take part in speed skating events before proceeding to Salt Lake City, where he will join other members of the Japanese Olympic team in February.

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Takeda wins men's 500

NAGANO, Japan - Toyoki Takeda beats veteran Manabu Horii to win the men's 500-meter title in the speed skating single-distance national championships meet at the M-Wave ice arena in Nagano on Nov. 4. World record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu pulled out of the meet because of a lower back injury.

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Shimizu golden again at speed skating World Cup meet

CALGARY, Canada - Hiroyasu Shimizu (C) reigns supreme on the rink again March 4 as the Nagano Olympic gold medalist snared back-to-back golds in the 500 meters on the final day of a speed skating World Cup meet in Calgary, Canada. Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada (L) won the silver medal while Japan's Toyoki Takeda (R) took bronze.

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Shimizu powers to win in speed skating World Cup meet

NAGANO, Japan - Japan's Hiroyasu Shimizu powers to victory in the men's 500 meters at the M-Wave indoor ice arena in Nagano on Dec. 16, winning the speed skating World Cup event in 35.22 seconds. Shimizu won the Olympic gold medal in the same event at the same venue at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games.

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Shimizu wins bronze in men's 500 meters in Calgary

Nagano Olympic gold medalist Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan clocks a time of 35.11 seconds in the men's 500 meters to win a bronze medal in the world sprint speed skating championships in Calgary, Canada, on Feb. 21.

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Postma delivers Olympic speed skating

Holland's Ids Postma grimaces on his way to gold in the Olympic men's 1000-meters speed skating on Feb. 15 at Nagano's M-Wave indoor track. Postma, who set a new Olympic record of 1 minute, 10.64 seconds, edged teammate Jan Bos for the gold medal. Japan's Hiroyasu Shimizu took bronze to add to his gold in the 500-meters.

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Dutch turn tables on Shimizu

Holland's Ids Postma (C) celebrates his gold medal in the Olympic men's 1000-meters speed skating on Feb. 15. Postma set a new Games record to erase the memory of his disappointment in the 500-meters, won by Japan's Hiroyasu Shimizu (L) on Feb. 10. Shimizu could only manage bronze in the 1000-meters, behind silver medalist Jan Bos of Holland.

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Wotherspoon guns for Japan's Shimizu

Canada's Jeremy Wotherspoon chases Olympic gold in the men's 500-meter speed skating Feb. 10 at Nagano's M-Wave track. Wotherspoon eventually finished runner-up to Japan's Hiroyasu Shimizu.