Short track speed skater Tatiana Borodulina has followed last weekend’s bronze medal in Beijing with fourth place in a 500m World Cup race in Nagano, Japan.

Borodulina won her preliminary encounter, then finished second in her heat, producing the third fastest time of the round in the process.

The 23-year-old Olympic Winter Institute skater then fought her way through the quarter and semi-final rounds, but faced a formidable task in the final, up against a trio of Chinese skaters including Torino gold medallist and reigning world champion Wang Meng.

“Tatiana skated very well,” said Australian team leader Steven Bradbury.

“She was up against three Chinese in the 500m final and was also starting from line 4 (the outside line).

“She did all she could to move in front of the Chinese trio, but it was like the Great Wall of China.”

Wang Meng claimed the gold medal from compatriot Liu Qiuhong, with Fu Tian Yu taking the bronze.

Borodulina added a seventh placing in the 1500m to take her season tally to one bronze medal and seven top ten results from eight starts.

Her OWI team-mate Lachlan Hay was also in good form, finishing in 12th place in the men’s 1000m and 17th in the second of two 1500m events, while Jeremy Beck placed 16th in the first of the 1500m contests.

The World Cup short track season now takes a two month break before resuming in Sofia, Bulgaria, in February.