Sophie Muir and Josh Lose look set to secure speed skating places for Australia at Vancouver 2010 after the second day of the final Games qualifying event in Utah.

Muir skated to a new national record in the 500m at the World Cup in Salt Lake City, posting 38.60 seconds to finish in eighth place in Division B.

The time was just 0.53 of a second from division winner Svetlana Kaykan of Russia, and 0.21 of a second from the podium – with a podium placing earning promotion to the Division A ranks.

In the men’s Division B 5000m, team-mate Josh Lose slashed eight seconds off his own national record, recording six minutes 27.03 seconds to finish in sixth place.

Although the final Vancouver qualifying lists for speed skating are yet to be officially announced, the Salt Lake City times of both Muir and Lose have put them both into the Olympic qualifying zone.

No Australian woman has ever competed in long track speed skating at an Olympic Games, and the last male representation was in 1994 in Lillehammer.

But the country has a strong tradition in the sport, with speed skater Kenneth Kennedy the first Australian to go to the Winter Olympics, and Colin Coates the only Australian to compete in six  Winter Games.

A third member of the Australian team, Daniel Grieg, was also in strong form in the men’s Division B 500m in Salt Lake City, setting a new national record of 36.17 in finishing 22nd, while Ben Southee placed 17th in the Division B 1500m and 24th in the 500m.

The World Cup will finish tomorrow with men’s and women’s 1000m events.