(2) Yoshii, Kobayashi 1st-time winners at sprint c'ships

(2) Yoshii, Kobayashi 1st-time winners at sprint c'ships

CHINO, Japan - Masaaki Kobayashi skates in the men's 1,000-meter race at the national sprint championships at Chino sports park skate center in Nagano Prefecture on Dec. 29. He won the overall title at the meet for the first time after finishing fourth in the second leg of the 500 and third in the 1,000. He earned 144.180 points for victory.

Groothuis wins gold in men's 1000m speed skating

Groothuis wins gold in men's 1000m speed skating

SOCHI, Russia - Stefan Groothuis (R) of the Netherlands competes in the Winter Olympics men's 1,000-meter speed skating event at the Alder Arena Skating Center in Sochi, Russia, on Feb. 12, 2014. Groothuis finished in first place with a time of 1 minute, 8.39 seconds.

America's Davis wins gold in men's 1,000-m speed skating

America's Davis wins gold in men's 1,000-m speed skating

TURIN, Italy - American Shani Davis, who won the gold in the men's 1,000-meter speed skating, skates in the race at Oval Lingotto at the Turin Olympics on Feb. 18. Davis is first black male athlete ever to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual event

America's Davis wins gold in men's 1,000-m speed skating

America's Davis wins gold in men's 1,000-m speed skating

TURIN, Italy - American speed skater Shani Davis smiles after winning the gold in the men's 1,000-meter race at Oval Lingotto at the Turin Olympics on Feb. 18. Davis is first black male athlete ever to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual event.

America's Davis wins gold in men's 1,000-m speed skating

America's Davis wins gold in men's 1,000-m speed skating

TURIN, Italy - American speed skater Shani Davis waves to spectators after winning the men's 1,000-meter race at Oval Lingotto at the Turin Olympics on Feb. 18. Davis is first black male athlete ever to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in an individual event.

Shimizu takes sprint double at Asama invitational

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.