Skating Queen Lee Sang-hwa Bids Farewell to 12-Year World Record with a Cool Message

'Ice Queen' Lee Sang-hwa showed a cool reaction after her 12-year-old women's 500m speed skating world record was broken by Femke Kok of the Netherlands.

Immediately after her world record was shattered, Lee Sang-hwa shared her thoughts via her Instagram story. Using a photo of the scoreboard from when she set the world record 12 years ago as a background, she left a short but impactful message: 'I've had it for 12 years. Byeeeeee 3636!!!!!', bidding farewell to her monumental achievement.

Femke Kok clocked in at 36.09 seconds, breaking Lee Sang-hwa's previous record of 36.36 seconds, which was set on November 17, 2013. Remarkably, the date of the record's breaking was exactly 12 years later, adding another layer of significance.

Lee Sang-hwa's world record stood as the longest-held record among Olympic speed skating events, enduring for over four years despite advancements in equipment and techniques. Kok, the new record holder, revealed that she had studied Lee Sang-hwa's races hundreds of times while dreaming of breaking the record, further proving how significant Lee's record was as a milestone for junior athletes.

Netizens praised Lee Sang-hwa's record and her cool demeanor, commenting, 'As expected from the Ice Queen! It's admirable how she let it go so coolly,' '12 years is truly an incredible record. I can only imagine how proud Kangnam must have been,' and 'Cheering for the new record too!'