By Lee Hana
Photos = Yonhap News

Speed skater Lee Sang-Hwa, the defending Olympic champion, claimed the silver medal in the women's 500 m race at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.

Lee clocked in at 37.33 s in the final single-lap race at the Gangneung Oval on Feb. 18, finishing second in her third Olympic race.

Lee, a two-time gold medalist, was vying for her third Olympic gold in Pyeongchang. However, by winning the silver medal she has become the first Asian and the third speed skater ever to win medals at three consecutive Olympics in the 500 m race: 2010 Vancouver, 2014 Sochi, and 2018 PyeongChang.

Only two other women speed skaters have managed to achieve this feat. They are Germany's Karin Enke, who won a gold, a silver and a bronze in 1980, 1984 and 1988, and the U.S.'s Bonnie Blair, who won three consecutive gold medals in 1988, 1992 and 1994.



At the PyeongChang Games, Lee Sang-Hwa raced in the outside lane against Japan's Arisa Go in the 15th group. Lee sprinted the first 100 m in 10.20 s, but she slowed down in the last spurt, finishing in second place.

The gold medal went to Japan's Nao Kodaira who competed immediately before Lee in the 14th group. Kadaira set an Olympic record of 36.94 s this race, to claim her first gold in the 500 m.

The bronze medal went to Czechia's Karolina Erbanova who finished in 37.34 s.

When the final results were announced, Lee broke down in tears. "Since the Sochi Olympics, I've had my eyes set on another gold medal. I've learned just how hard it is to enter a race timed in split seconds. I'm a little disappointed with the result, but it's definitely an invaluable silver medal that deserves loud cheers," said Lee.

When asked about Kodaira, who had been played up against the Korean skater leading up the race, Lee said, "In the past, I was fearful of making mistakes because I was so high in the rankings. Preparing for the Olympics this time around, I was much more relaxed because I knew I was on a lower rung than Kodaira."

"Overall, it was a good experience," said Lee.

Lee told the media that when the final results were announced, she and Kodaira exchanged kind words. "We told each other how proud we both were, and how much respect we had for one another," Lee said with a smile.



hlee10@korea.kr