Speed skating greats Lee and Kodaira meet in Gangwon

Retired speed skater Lee Sang-hwa, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, reunited with fellow skating great Nao Kodaira at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics on Monday, four years after the two took silver and gold in the 500-meter at PyeongChang.

Retired speed skating legend Lee Sang-hwa, right, hugs fellow skater and friend Nao Kodaira of Japan, a gold medalist in the women's 500-meter speed skating contest at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics at Gangneung Speed Skating Stadium in Gangneung, Gangwon on Monday. [NEWS1]

Retired speed skater Lee Sang-hwa, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, reunited with fellow speed skating great Nao Kodaira at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics on Monday.

Lee, who announced her retirement in 2019, is a member of the organizing committee for the Youth Olympics, which is taking place at many of the venues used for the senior games in 2018.

Lee was the first Asian woman to win gold in the women's 500-meter speed skating contest at the Olympics, claiming the title for Korea at the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010.

She set the standing world record in the event in 2013, finishing with 36.36 seconds at a World Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah. Lee went on to defend her gold medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics the next year, in 2014.

Lee took a break from speed skating to undergo treatment for multiple injuries, and Kodaira, competing for Japan, quickly rose to the top — besting Lee in the women's 500-meter race at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea.

But following that race, Kodaira comforted Lee, saying, "Good job, I'm proud of you." The two later received the Korea-Japan Friendship Award for their demonstration of friendship on the ice.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]