MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (Kyodo) -- Japanese speed skater Tatsuya Shinhama won the men's 500 meters Sunday at the World Cup round in Milwaukee, snapping U.S. star Jordan Stolz's win streak at 18 in a row.

Shinhama clocked 34.14 seconds for his first World Cup victory since November 2023, holding off 20-year-old Stolz by 0.05 second as they skated head-to-head on the Wisconsin native's home oval at the Pettit National Ice Center.

Stolz, the two-time reigning world champion in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500, had not lost a race in more than a year.

The 28-year-old Shinhama continues to make a strong comeback after suffering a broken lumbar vertebrae in a training fall last March.

"(Stolz) is the guy everyone wants to beat. It gives me a lot of confidence," said Shinhama, who now has 12 career World Cup victories.

"It's been a long journey (since the injury). I had a hard time getting back to skating normally, but I'm finally seeing some good signs."

Japan's 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic bronze medalist Wataru Morishige finished eighth in 34.46 seconds.