KEARNS, Utah — Apolo Anton Ohno crashed today in the opener of the short-track speedskating World Cup season and world champion Wang Meng of China got off to a fast start with a victory in the women's 1,000 meters.

Ohno, the five-time Olympic medalist and defending overall world champion, lost an edge during a turn in the men's 1,000 meters and tumbled into the new pads around the rink at the Utah Olympic Oval. Ohno got up after a few moments and skated the rest of the race, then smiled and waved to thank the U.S. fans for a polite round of applause.

Ohno was the only skater in the final who wasn't from South Korea, which got an easy sweep when Ohno wiped out with four laps to go. Kwak Yoon-gy was the winner, finishing in 1 minute, 30.821.

Ohno did not speak to reporters after Saturday's races.

Wang, who swept the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters at the World Championships last spring, opened the World Cup season with another win in the 1,000 with a time of 1:29.766. American Kimberly Derrick fell well off the pace in the final few laps, but she took third when Liu Qiuhong of China was disqualified after a collision at the finish line with South Korea's Shin Sae-bom, who finished second.

Derrick said she didn't see the crash because she was still making the turn, but she was happy to get a spot on the podium.

"I'll take it," she said. "I honestly didn't think they would call it because it was so close to the finish."

Zhou Yang of China was first in the women's 1,500 in 2:21.445. Sung Si-bak won the men's 1,500, beating Canada's Charles Hamelin and Jeff Simon of the U.S., who had never placed in a World Cup race.

"I'm happy how things turned out," said Simon, who turned 19 in August. "I made the podium on the senior circuit and I'm still a junior in age."

The World Cup continues Sunday with the 500 meters, another round of the 1,500 and the women's 3,000-meter relay and men's 5,000-meter relay.