Speed Skating Queens Lee Sang-hwa and Nao Kodaira Share Heartwarming Post-Retirement Update, Flaunt 20-Year Friendship at Cafe

The post-retirement whereabouts of former speed skating national team member Lee Sang-hwa and her close friend and rival, Nao Kodaira, have been revealed, sparking interest.

A video titled 'Sang-hwa & Nao, The 20-Year Friendship of Speed Skating Empresses. We Directly Witnessed the Post-Retirement Talk of Korean-Japanese Legends' was uploaded on the YouTube channel ‘Dongne Friend Kangnam’ on the 6th.

The video captured Kangnam and Lee Sang-hwa traveling to Nagano, Japan, and visiting the cafe run by Nao Kodaira after a meal. Nao Kodaira, who opened a cafe after retiring, expressed her joy at Lee Sang-hwa's visit, saying, 'Thank you for coming.' Lee Sang-hwa, meeting after a long time, was surprised to see Nao Kodaira's thighs, exclaiming, 'Wow, they're still thick!' To which Kodaira humorously replied, 'They've all gone,' with a bashful smile.

The two also reminisced about their competitive days. Recalling their first meeting, Kodaira said, 'When Lee Sang-hwa competed in the Turin Olympics, I thought, 'There's such a great athlete in Asia.' I thought I wanted to compete at the same level someday.' She added, 'When we were able to race together, Sang-hwa injured her knee. When Sang-hwa was at her strongest, I cried after a race, but Sang-hwa comforted me and cried with me,' expressing her gratitude.

Lee Sang-hwa achieved back-to-back victories in the women's 500m speed skating at the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Netizens commented, 'It's heartwarming to see your friendship,' 'Speed skating emps with beautiful faces and hearts,' and 'Cheering for your continued success even after retirement,' adding to the warm sentiment.