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Kodaira sets Olympic record to win 500m gold

Ed McCambridge
February 18, 2018

The Japanese speed skater has become the first woman to race under 37 seconds at a Winter Olympics games, breaking the previous record set at Sochi 2014.

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Nao Kodira celebrates
Image: Reuters/D. Sagolj

Medals were flying in at breakneck speed on day 9 in Pyeongchang, as a hectic hour on Sunday evening saw three medals arrive in quick succession. Though none arrived quite so fast as Nao Kodaira's.

Read more: Russian ice skaters baffled over Olympic ban

Victory for the Japanese speed skater meant she became the reigning World and Olympic champion. It also came with an added bonus, as Kodaira broke the Olympic record against its previous owner: Two-time defending champion Lee Sang-hwa. The South Korean took silver in front of an ecstatic home crowd with a time of 37.33. Karolina Ervanova of the Czech Republic finished close behind to collect bronze in 37.34.

Kodeira's time, 36.94 seconds, broke the previous record (37.28) by over three-tenths of a second. She also broke her own personal best (37.07) set in Norway in November 2017, as she became the first woman to race under 37 seconds at sea level.  

Her gold was Japan's second of Pyeongchang 2018, following Yuzuru Hanyu's historic victory in the men's individual speed skating on Saturday. The team has also collected five silvers and three bronze medals.