Kodaira becomes 1st Japanese woman to win speedskating gold

February 19, 2018

Pyeongchang, South Korea- Nao Kodaira won the women's 500-meter speedskating event in the Pyeongchang Olympics on Sunday, becoming the first Japanese woman to win gold in the sport.

Kodaira, 31, marked an Olympic record time of 36.94 seconds, defeating two-time Olympic 500-meter speedskating champion Lee Sang-hwa of South Korea, who clocked 37.33 seconds to win silver.

This is Kodaira's second Pyeongchang medal. She earned silver in the 1,000-meter event last week.

Kodaira, the captain of the national team, is the second gold medal winner among the Japanese participants in the Pyeongchang Games, following figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, who won his medal on Saturday.

Japanese athletes have won a total of 10 medals in Pyeongchang, matching the country's record high scored in the 1998 Nagano Olympics in central Japan. The 10 medals earned this time include five silvers and three bronzes.

Kodaira is the third female Japanese Winter Olympic gold medalist, following mogul skier Tae Satoya in 1998 and figure skater Shizuka Arakawa in 2006.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe posted a message of congratulations on social media, saying that her strong performance is a result of efforts fueled by her disappointment four years ago. Jiji Press