Olympic team pursuit bronze medalist Brittany Bowe notched her first speed skating World Cup win since suffering a concussion in a July 2016 training collision with a teammate.
Bowe won the 1500m at the season-opening World Cup in Obihiro, Japan, in 1:55.03. edging Olympic silver medalist Miho Takagi of Japan by .09 on Saturday. Olympic gold medalist Ireen Wuest of the Netherlands was fourth.
Bowe, 30, won the 2015 World title in the 1500m and the World Cup season title in the distance in 2016.
She looked primed for individual success at the PyeongChang Winter Games early in that Olympic cycle.