An on-ice showdown at high noon took less than a minute for American Bonnie Blair to prove she's still the fastest around.
The five-time Olympic gold medallist from West Allis, Wis., broke her own world record in winning the World Cup 500-meter speed skating race in 38.69 seconds over Canada's Susan Auch.Auch, who had the 2,500 fans at Calgary's Olympic Speed-Skating Oval on their feet screaming, finished second in 38.94 seconds, also breaking Blair's old world mark of 38.99.
"Being paired with Susan was a big help for me," said Blair, who also won her second 1,000-meter race of the weekend. "I knew the race was off to a good start. I knew I was close to Susan at the 100 (meters). That gave me somebody to chase."
It was the first time two women have broken the 39-second barrier in the same race.
Svetlana Zhurova of Russia was third in 39.66
The head-to-head battle was set up Saturday when Auch, 28, beat Blair, 30, by three-100ths of a second in another 500-meter race. It was Auch's second consecutive victory over Blair.
"I expected her to come back with a vengeance," said Auch, who broke the Canadian record of 39.15 she had set Saturday. "She brought out the best in me. I was pretty stressed about the race, but I skate a lot better when I'm pressured."
Auch, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, had a scorching 10.35-second start in the first 100 meters. But then Blair overpowered her.
"It's so hard when you want it so badly," said Auch, a silver medallist at last year's Winter Olympics in Norway. "You can see you're catching the person you're paired with. Overall, it was the best race I ever had."
Just two weeks ago, Auch beat Blair in a World Cup race at Innsbruck, Austria. It was Blair's first 500-meter loss in five World Cup races.
Blair, who also won the 1,000 meters in one minute, 18.39 seconds, now prepares for the world championships on her home ice next week.
Germany's Franziska Schenk finished second in the 1,000 meters in 1:19.06, while Christine Witty of Milwaukee was third in 1:19.68.
Japan's Hiroyasu Shimizu came within a blink of breaking the world record in the men's 500 meters. His time of 35.83 is the second-fastest ever behind American Dan Jansen's 35.76.
Teammate Horii Manabu, winner of Saturday's 500 meters, was second, while Song Jul Jaegal of South Korea was third.
Yoon-Man Kim of South Korea won the men's 1,000 in 1:12.60 seconds. In other races Saturday, Blair led a one-two American finish in the 1,000 with Witty second. Scott was second in the 1,000 meters - just four-100ths behind Japan's Yasunori Miyabe.