Japan’s Nao Kodaira maintained her perfect record in this season’s ISU Speed Skating World Cup after claiming the women’s 500 metres title in Stavanger ©Getty Images

Japan’s Nao Kodaira maintained her perfect record in this season’s International Skating Union Speed Skating World Cup after claiming the women’s 500 metres title in Stavanger.

The 31-year-old world champion triumphed in a track record time of 37.07sec at the Norwegian city’s Soermarka Arena.

It bettered the 37.08 she set on her way to winning the first 500m event yesterday.

Russia’s Angelina Golikova took the silver medal today in 37.85.  

World record holder Lee Sang-Hwa of South Korea came away with bronze in 37.95.

Kodaira leads the women’s 500m World Cup rankings with the maximum score of 400 points from four races.

Lee is second with 270 points, while Austria’s Vanessa Herzog, who finished sixth in 38.10 today, is third overall with 235.

In the men’s 500m, The Netherlands’ Ronald Mulder took the gold medal in 34.62 to beat an extremely competitive field.

It secured him his fifth World Cup win in the 500m with his previous victory dating back to the 2015-2016 season, when he took gold on home ice in Heerenveen.

"I have not won very often, so this feels very good," Mulder said.

The Netherlands' Ronald Mulder took the gold medal in the men’s 500m ©ISU
The Netherlands' Ronald Mulder took the gold medal in the men’s 500m ©ISU

All skaters ranked from second down to 16th finished within 0.36 seconds of Mulder.

Japan’s Daichi Yamanaka grabbed a surprise silver medal in 34.65, while yesterday’s silver medallist Hein Otterspeer of The Netherlands finished in 34.76 to add a bronze to his collection.

Norway’s Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen, who had won yesterday’s 500m and 1,000m, finished in sixth place in 34.79.

Today's action also saw Japan’s Miho Takagi clinch her second women’s 1,500m gold medal of the season in 1:55.30.

The United States’ Heather Bergsma was the silver medallist in 1:56.48, while The Netherlands’ Lotte van Beek won the bronze in 1:57.51.

Hosts Norway took gold and bronze in the men’s 1,500m with Sverre Lunde Pedersen landing his second career individual World Cup win and Sindre Henriksen making his individual podium debut.

Pedersen finished in 1:45.07, while Henriksen stopped the clock at 1:45.37.

Sandwiched between them was the US's Joey Mantia in 1:45.28.

The event in Stavanger is due to conclude tomorrow.

The men's and women's team sprint events are scheduled to take place along with the men's 10,000m and women's 5,000m.