Lee Sang-hwa ranks atop in women’s 500-meter speed skating race

Lee Sang-hwa ranks atop in women’s 500-meter speed skating race. November. 16, 2015 08:56. creating@donga.com.

Olympic gold medalist Lee Sang-hwa won the title in the first-round race of women’s 500-meter Division A (primary league) competition with a time of 35:96 at the first round of the 2015-2016 ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Calgary, Canada on Saturday (Korea time).

The 26-year-old Korean thus ranked atop in 11 months after acquiring the gold at the first round race of women’s 500-meter competition in last December at the fourth round of the ISU World Cup Championships in the Netherlands. She also achieved the 36-second mark for the first time in two years since setting the world record (36:36) in November 2013. By winning the title on the day, Lee has dispelled controversy over her selection as a national team member due to her disqualification in women’s 500-meter race in last month’s competition to select national team skaters.

“Lee Sang-hwa will improve further. I have expectations for competitions to come," said Lee`s coach Kevin Crocket. In women’s 1,000-meter race held on Sunday, Lee ranked 10th by posting a time of 1:15:24.

In the speed skating oval held on Sunday, Korean men’s team comprised of Lee Seung-hoon (27), Joo Hyeong-joon (24), and Kim Cheol-min (23) acquired the silver medal with a time of 3:39:60 after Canada (3:39:32).