GANGNEUNG -- Speedskater Nao Kodaira finally reached the top of the podium in her third Olympic attempt, winning the women's 500 meters on Sunday at the Pyeongchang Games.
Kodaira dethroned South Korea's Lee Sang Hwa, who was seeking her third straight Olympic title over the distance, by clocking a new Olympic record of 36.94 seconds at the Gangneung Oval. Lee finished 0.39 seconds behind Kodaira in second, followed by Karolina Erbanova of the Czech Republic at 37.34.
Arisa Go from Japan finished 8th and Erina Kamiya was 13th.
After stepping onto the top of the podium, Kodaira pumped her fists in the air and jumped twice to express her joy. "I'm so happy. My efforts have all been rewarded," the 31-year-old said after the race.
"My eyes welled up with tears," she said later.
Kodaira became the first female speedskater from Japan to win an Olympic gold medal. It was her second medal at Pyeongchang, following a silver-medal finish in the 1,000 meters on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Kodaira skated in the 14th pair, one ahead of Lee. After Kodaira's race, the Korean fans cheered loudly when Lee went to the starting line. The cheers grew even louder as Lee skated faster than Kodaira's time for the first 100 meters. However, Lee could not keep the momentum going, and Japanese fans sighed in relief when Lee's time came up on the screen.
Masae Yamagishi was among the 60-member squad who came from Kodaira's hometown -- Chino, Nagano Prefecture -- to cheer on the speedskater. "She was fantastic. Tears welled up in my eyes after learning the final result. I can't find the right words to describe my feelings," the 68-year-old said.
Kodaira finally got the best of Lee at the Olympics -- Kodaira finished 12th at the 2010 Vancouver Games and 5th at the 2014 Sochi Games in the 500 meters, watching Lee win back-to-back titles.
However, their rivalry was set aside after the race finished -- Kodaira and Lee hugged each other and did their victory runs together, placing their national flags over their shoulders.
Lee praised Kodaira at a press conference after the race, saying: "We've been competing against each other for a long time. I respect her very much."
Wi Hee Eun, 23, from Daejeon, South Korea, said she was moved by the two skaters taking a victory lap together, adding that the event has become a "once-in-a lifetime experience" for her.
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