Japanese speed skater Momoka Horikawa surprised the field -- and herself -- by winning the women's mass start at a World Cup meet for the first time in her career Sunday.

Also in the finale of the 2022-23 World Cup tour in the Polish city of Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Japanese compatriot Miho Takagi came in third in the women's 1,000 meters, leaving her atop the season standings for the distance.

Takagi, a winner of four medals at last year's Beijing Olympics, including gold in the 1,000, had already claimed her second consecutive season title in the 1,500 meters.

The 19-year-old Horikawa followed her coach's advice to mark Canada's Valerie Maltais, whose background in short track speed skating has made her a strong mass start competitor.

Japanese speed skater Momoka Horikawa reacts after winning the women's mass start at a World Cup meet in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland, on Feb. 19, 2023. (Kyodo)

Horikawa managed to beat Maltais after the two broke away from the field and skated neck-and-neck in the second half of the 16-lap race.

"I never thought I could win," Horikawa said. "I tried to win the race, but this is a surprise."

In the 1,000, Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands won with a time of 1 minute, 14.94 seconds, 0.60 ahead of American runner-up Kimi Goetz and 0.73 in front of Takagi.

It was Leerdam's fifth win in as many races she entered, but she missed the second-to-last race and finished the tour with 300 points, one point below Takagi, who raced in all six, with five podium finishes.

"I wanted to wrap up the tour with a win, though," Takagi said. "I had been missing the mark with my skating until now, but this race felt like a starting point in being able to transfer more power into the ice."

The international speed skating season will culminate with the world championships beginning March 2 in Heerenveen, the Netherlands.

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