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| Lee Sang-hwa of South Korea, left, and Nao Kodaira of Japan wear big smiles after the 500m speed skating finals at the Gangneung Oval Sunday. Kodaira claimed gold with an Olympic record of 37.28 seconds. Lee won silver clocking in at 37.33 seconds. / Korea Times photo by Kim Joo-young |
By Kim Hyun-bin
The ladies 500-meter speed skating final boiled down to a race between South Korea's Lee Sang-hwa and Japan's Nao Kodaira.
Many dubbed it the race of the century. Just watching the rivals was pure excitement with the world's top two athletes crossing the finish line 0.39 seconds apart.
Nao Kodaira claimed gold with 37.28 seconds, breaking Lee's 2014 Sochi Olympic record. Lee won silver at 37.33 seconds.
The two-time South Korean Olympic gold medalist burst into tears soon after she crossed the finish line.
"The tears are not because I couldn't claim gold, but rather the thought and feeling of relief that it is all over," Lee said after the game. "Actually, I felt a bit of pressure to defend my title again. In the past, I was worried about falling from the top. But this time, she is the top dog, not me."
On social media early Monday morning, Lee expressed her true feelings about the race.
"I am satisfied with second place and one of the tops in the field. This will become a great memory, thanks for the support," Lee said.
However, it's not just the world-class performance from the two athletes that made the event remarkable, but rather their exceptional friendship built over the years.
Lee and Kodaira's relationship started in middle school when both started to compete in international skating competitions. For over a decade Lee stood way ahead of Kodaira.
However, Lee's lead began to slip due to injuries during the 2016-2017 season, opening up opportunities for Kodaira to finish all international competitions on top. Lee has been trailing the Japanese skater ever since.
"It took me a year and a half to recover from my injuries, but now it's all over. No regrets," Lee said.
There are no imminent competitions coming up and the two athletes, once rivals, have returned to just being friends. Kodaira born in 1986 is three years older than Lee, but the respect for each other has always been genuine.
"Lee Sang-hwa has always been kind to me. I was in Seoul for a speed skating world cup three years ago, and after I had to go straight to the Netherlands. Lee paid for my cab ride even though I took first place and she might have not been in a good mood. She is a great athlete and a friend," Kodaira said.
"We are close friends, close enough for me to invite her to Korea, so it is my duty to take care of her once she is here," Lee said.
"Kodaira told me to take first and she will take second in PyeongChang. I told her the opposite, but it became a reality. Every time I visit Japan she gives me gifts especially Japanese food that I really like. We have great memories and affections for each other.
It is unclear if the two could continue their rivalry in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. However one thing is for sure, the two friends want some time off to rest.
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