Korean and Japanese heroes meet again at Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 six years on after iconic embrace at PyeongChang 2018

22 January 2024 - Six years after one of the most iconic moments of recent Olympic history, Lee Sang-hwa, two-time speed skating Olympic champion of the Republic of Korea and Kodaira Nao, Japanese speed skating gold medalist of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics reunited at Gangneung Oval. The venue is the same arena where the two competed together in 2018.

After winning silver in the women’s 500m speed skating in 2018, Lee burst into tears, and her longtime friend and rival Kodaira embraced her while the two circled the rink with their national flags during the victory lap.

The moment they shared in 2018 is a great example of how the Olympics unites people and Kodaira had a message for the athletes at Gangwon 2024.

“The meaning behind our hugging was we hoped that the young athletes will be able to create a relationship like ours,” Kodaira said.

The venue might have been updated for Gangwon 2024, but Lee still remembers the feelings she had six years ago. “It feels great to be back after the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics and this gives me the feeling of competing once again with Nao,” she said.

Lee is serving as a Co-President of the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC). She won the women’s 500m gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games - Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014.

Kodaira is attending the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 as an IOC Athlete Role Model.

Gangwon 2024 runs until 1 February, with more than 1,800 athletes from 78 NOCs taking part. The Winter Youth Olympic Games is filmed for live television and digital streaming on the Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the Olympics app, with full session replays and highlights also available.