hankyoreh

South Korean speed skater Lee Sang-hwa’s bid for a third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the women’s 500m speed skating event came up just short as she was forced to settle for a silver medal after a record setting performance from Japan’s Nao Kodaira. Lee, who had taken gold in the same event at Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014, broke down in tears after falling short on her home soil. In a display befitting the spirit of the Olympics, the two women embraced and took a victory lap together following the race, with each holding the respective flags of their nations. (by Kim Seong-gwang, staff photographer)