South Korean Speedskater Lee Sang-Hwa Breaks Her Gold Streak, Still Remains a Legendary Athlete in Korea

The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics marks are the fourth Olympics by South Korean speedskater Lee Sang-Hwa. Following her competition on Sunday, the athlete won silver in the women's 500 meters. 

Lee finished at 37.33 whilst Nao Kodaira won the gold with an Olympic record of 36.94 in the 500m race.The athlete holds the world record of 36.36 seconds in the 500m race, now surpassed by Kodaira. 

This breaks Lee's streak to win for her third Olympic gold. In 2010, she won her first gold in Vancouver followed by her gold win in Sochi in 2014. For now, Bonnie Blair, an American, is the only female speedskater who holds three consecutive Olympic gold medals. 

The First Asian Woman To Win an Olympic Speed Skating Title

Despite the loss, the 28-year-old skater remains to be legendary in South Korea. The country has four gold medals in short track speed skating in the Winter Olympics, and two of those gold medals are by Lee. She is also the first Asian woman to win an Olympic speed skating title. 

She was also very happy to be competing in her own country. "I was so envious of skaters who got cheers from the home crowd when I was in Vancouver and Sochi. I thought how it would be nice if the Olympics take place in Korea. That has come true, and I'm thrilled by it," she said as per Chosun Ilbo. 

Lee was born on February 25, 1989. Her passion for skating was influenced by her brother. She started skating when she was in first grade. The athlete first competed at the age of 14 years old in Canada and that's when she started to create her name in the world of speed skating. 

Nevertheless, fans of Lee along with the citizens of South Korea remains optimistic. Overcoming the powerful teams of Canada and the Netherlands, Lee did an impressive job on ice. 

Viral Fame

Even before she competed, she has gained plenty of support as she became viral with photos of her has spread online due to her good looks and the many fans that she has acquired throughout her skating career. 

Lee is considered to be one of the most marketable athletes in Korea, noted by the Korea Times in 2014.