[OLY] President Moon eulogizes Lee Sang-hwa as 'permanent queen of ice'

SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Aju News) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in eulogized female speed skater Lee Sang-hwa, who captured her third Olympic medal in the women's 500-meter race, as the "permanent queen" in speed skating.

Lee, a two-time Olympic champion, clocked 37.33 in the 500 meters on Saturday, 0.39 second behind winner Nao Kodaira of Japan, to win the silver. She was Asia's first skater to win three consecutive medals in the distance.

"Our people regard Lee Sang-hwa as the best and the permanent queen of the ice," Moon tweeted Monday, saying her silver medal was the "most beautiful" in Pyeongchang. "Lee Sang-hwa has been a great joy to the people, and she taught us what is a beautiful challenge."

At a news conference on Monday, Lee said she could skate for one or two more years if she can, declining to give a clear answer over when she would retire. "I can not give a definite answer yet," she said. "If I can, I think it is a good idea to do it for one or two more years."

Lee, who burst into tears after completing the race, said she cried after feeling freed from pressure and mental burdens. She described her four-year preparations after the 2014 Winter Games as "tough", citing injuries. "It is too expensive silver for me. Maybe it will be more important than gold."

Lee, who still holds the world record of 36.36 set in 2013, said she was not swayed by a new Olympic record set by Nao Kodaira of Japan. "I thought that anyway, my Olympic record would be broken. The ice of the gym was much better than Sochi." "As I said before, I want to remain a legendary player", she said.

Lim Chang-won Reporter cwlim34@ajunews.com

Lim Chang-won cwlim34@ajunews.com

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