In December 2004, the year she turned 15, she made her senior international debut at the World Cup in Nagano, Japan. In 2005, she won the 500 m at the World Junior Championships and, less than a month later, took bronze in the 500 m at the World Single Distances Championships. In 2006, she placed fifth in the 500 m at the Turin Winter Olympics. In 2007, ahead of entering the Korea National Sport University, she won gold in the 500 m at the Turin Winter Universiade.
The breakthrough yearIn January 2010, the year she turned 21, she became the first Korean woman to win the overall title at the World Sprint Championships. The next month she won the 500 m at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, beating the world-record holder Jenny Wolf by 0.05 seconds, for the first Olympic gold by a Korean woman speed skater.
In 2011, she won bronze in the 500 m at the Astana-Almaty Asian Winter Games. In 2012, she won the 500 m at the World Single Distances Championships in Heerenveen, the first Korean woman to take the title.
In January 2013, she set a world record of 36.80 in Calgary, and in March she won the 500 m at the World Single Distances Championships in Sochi for a second straight title. In November she moved between Calgary and Salt Lake City and broke the world record three more times, down to 36.36. In 2014, the year she turned 25, she won the 500 m at the Sochi Winter Olympics with an Olympic record, her second straight Olympic title.
In 2016, she won the 500 m at the World Single Distances Championships for the first time in three years. In 2017, she won silver at the World Single Distances Championships in Gangneung, a Pyeongchang Olympics test event, and silver again at the Sapporo Asian Winter Games.
In 2018, the year she turned 29, she won silver in the 500 m at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, becoming the first Asian to win Olympic medals in the event in three straight Games. In May 2019, she held a retirement press conference, ending a 17-year career as an athlete. That October she married the singer Kangnam.
After retiring she moved into broadcasting, debuting as a KBS speed skating commentator at the Beijing Winter Olympics. In March of that year she became a regular on E Channel’s variety show Sporty Sisters 2. In 2024, she showed her face for the first time on Kangnam’s YouTube channel, which had passed 800,000 subscribers. In November 2025, she lost the 500 m world record she had held for 12 years to Femke Kok of the Netherlands.
Lee Sang-hwa (born Feb 25, 1989) made her senior debut at the World Cup in Nagano, Japan, on Dec 4, 2004, the year she turned 15, and became known when she won the 500 m at the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Feb 17, 2010, the year she turned 21, the first Olympic gold for a Korean woman speed skater. In 2013, she set a 500 m world record of 36.36.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Entered the women’s 500 m of the fourth World Cup of the season in Nagano, Japan, for the first time and finished eighth. She placed 15th in the 1000 m at the same meet.
Source 01 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Nagano World Cup debut · opens in a new tabWon the women’s 500 m at the World Junior Championships in Seinäjoki, Finland, in 39.93. She was the first Korean woman to win the 500 m at the event.
Source 02 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · World Junior 500 m title · opens in a new tabWon bronze in the 500 m at the World Single Distances Championships in Inzell, Germany, with a two-race total of 77.91. It was her first medal at the event, which only the top 24 in the world rankings may enter.
Source 03 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · First World Single Distances medal · opens in a new tabPlaced fifth in the 500 m in Turin, Italy, with a two-race total of 77.04. She finished 0.17 seconds behind the Chinese skater who took bronze.
Source 04 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Turin Olympics 500 m, fifth · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Edaily (Korean) · Retirement announcement and career review · opens in a new tabAhead of entering the Korea National Sport University, won the 500 m at the Universiade in 77.06, lowering the previous event record by 1.02 seconds.
Source 05 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Turin Universiade 500 m gold · opens in a new tabWon the overall title at the World Sprint Championships in Obihiro, Japan, with 154.58 points. She was the first Korean woman to win the event overall.
Source 06 · Newsis (Korean) · World Sprint Championships title in Obihiro · opens in a new tabWon the 500 m in Richmond, Canada, with a two-race total of 76.09, beating the world-record holder Jenny Wolf of Germany by 0.05 seconds. It was the first Olympic gold for a Korean woman speed skater.
Won bronze in the 500 m in Astana, Kazakhstan, with a two-race total of 76.57. She finished third behind China’s Yu Jing and Wang Beixing.
Source 10 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Astana-Almaty Asian Winter Games bronze · opens in a new tabWon the 500 m at the championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands, with a two-race total of 75.69. Lee was the first Korean woman to win the event.
Source 11 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · World Single Distances 500 m gold in Heerenveen · opens in a new tabSkated 36.80 at a World Cup race in Calgary, Canada, breaking China’s Yu Jing’s record of 36.94. It was the first world record in this event by a Korean woman speed skater and the first time anyone went under 36.90.
Source 12 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · World record of 36.80 in Calgary · opens in a new tabWon the 500 m at the championships in Sochi, Russia, for a second consecutive title. No Korean skater had won the event twice before.
Source 13 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · World Single Distances 500 m, second straight title · opens in a new tabSkated 36.36 at a World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA. It followed 36.74 in Calgary and 36.57 in Salt Lake City the same month, her third world record that November.
Source 14 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · World record of 36.36 on consecutive days · opens in a new tabWon the 500 m in Sochi, Russia, with a two-race total of 74.70, an Olympic record, for a second straight Olympic title after Vancouver. No Asian athlete had won back-to-back Olympic titles in any men’s or women’s speed skating event before.
Source 15 · Financial News (Korean) · Sochi Olympics 500 m gold · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Edaily (Korean) · Retirement announcement and career review · opens in a new tabWon the 500 m at the championships in Kolomna, Russia, with a two-race total of 74.851. It was her first title at the event since 2013.
Source 16 · Edaily (Korean) · World Single Distances 500 m gold in Kolomna · opens in a new tabWon silver in the 500 m at the championships held in Gangneung as a Pyeongchang Olympics test event, in a season-best 37.48. Japan’s Nao Kodaira finished ahead of her.
Source 17 · MK Sports (Korean) · World Single Distances 500 m silver in Gangneung · opens in a new tabWon silver in the 500 m in Obihiro, Japan. Gold went to Nao Kodaira.
Source 18 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Sapporo Asian Winter Games 500 m silver · opens in a new tabWon silver in the 500 m in Gangneung in 37.33, behind Nao Kodaira, who set an Olympic record. Lee became the first Asian to win Olympic medals in this event in three straight Games, and Kodaira went over and hugged her as she cried after the race.
Source 19 · KBS (Korean) · Pyeongchang Olympics 500 m silver · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Lee and Kodaira’s friendship · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Edaily (Korean) · Retirement announcement and career review · opens in a new tabHeld a retirement press conference at The Plaza hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, ending a 17-year career as an athlete.
Source 21 · Yonhap News Agency TV (Korean) · Retirement press conference video · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Dailian (Korean) · Retirement press conference details · opens in a new tabMarried the singer Kangnam at Vista Walkerhill in Gwangjang-dong, Seoul, seven months after both agencies confirmed the relationship in March, which began when they appeared on SBS’s Law of the Jungle. Tae Jin-ah officiated and Lee Kyung-kyu was the master of ceremonies.
Source 24 · Star News (Korean) · Wedding with Kangnam · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Relationship with Kangnam confirmed · opens in a new tabReceived the award together with her husband Kangnam. It recognized their appearance on the SBS show Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny.
Source 25 · Newsen (Korean) · SBS Entertainment Awards SNS Star Award · opens in a new tabDebuted as a KBS commentator at the Beijing Winter Olympics with the women’s 1500 m speed skating race.
Source 26 · Sports Today (Korean) · KBS Beijing Olympics commentator debut · opens in a new tabBecame a new regular on this variety show, whose cast includes Pak Se-ri and Han Yoo-mi.
Source 27 · Star News (Korean) · Joins Sporty Sisters 2 · opens in a new tab The exact first air date could not be confirmed in news reports.When her husband Kangnam’s YouTube channel Dongne Chingu Kangnami passed 800,000 subscribers, she showed her face on it for the first time after keeping it hidden.
Source 28 · Newsis (Korean) · Face revealed on Kangnam’s YouTube channel · opens in a new tabFemke Kok of the Netherlands skated 36.09 at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, 0.27 seconds under Lee’s 2013 record of 36.36. It was at the same venue, exactly 12 years later.
Source 29 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · World record broken after 12 years · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Reaction on social media after the record fell · opens in a new tab Lee posted a short message on social media saying goodbye to the record she had held for 12 years.On the YouTube channel Dongne Chingu Kangnami, she set up a hidden-camera prank about selling off her husband Kangnam’s Pokémon card collection. The bulk-purchase appraisal came to about 200 million won.
Source 31 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Pokémon card content · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2004–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Sports · South Korea
Feb 25, 1989 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1989: the year of the event minus 1989, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.22 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.