American sprinters got off to a winning...

American sprinters got off to a winning start at the opening of the men’s international World Cup speed skating season at Trondheim, Norway.

Dan Jansen won three of four races in the sprint class closely followed by Erik Henriksen and Nick Thometz.

Gaetan Boucher, Canada’s 1984 overall sprint world champion and double Olympic champion, won the fourth sprint race.

On Saturday, Jansen won the 500- and 1,000-meter races in 38.88 seconds and 1:17.72 and, on Sunday, he won the second 500-meter race in 38.61 and placed fourth in the 1,000 meters in 1:18.81.

Henriksen was second Sunday in the 500 meters in 38.69 and Thometz 10th in 39.56. In the 1,000 meters Sunday, Henriksen was second in 1:17.89 and Thometz third in 1:18.24.

Boucher won the 1,000-meter race Sunday in 1:17.83 after a fifth-place finish Saturday in 1:19.17. Boucher placed only seventh in the two 500-meter races, clocked in 39.52 and 39.48.

Jansen scored the maximum 50 points for his two 500-meter wins. He also leads the 1,000-meter standings after two events with 43 points.