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Nao Kodaira (JPN)  2022 Olympic Winter Games Beijing (CHN)@GettyImages 1371061392

Nao Kodaira (JPN) reacts during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

Nao Kodaira (JPN) will not be up for another full Speed Skating season next year, but she does not quite hang up her blades just yet. Japan's first female Olympic Speed Skating gold medalist said she wants to conclude her Speed Skating career after the Japanese single distance Championships in her hometown Nagano (JPN) on October 22-24th.

One more race

Nao Kodaira (JPN)  ISU World Cup Speed Skating @ISU 1384546486

Nao Kodaira (JPN) competes during the 2022 ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final in Heerenveen (NED) @ISU (International Skating Union)

"I wanted to skate one more race while I have some control over my body, and I wanted to race my last race in my home of Shinshu (the name of the region Nagano is also known for)," Kodaira said at a press conference in Nagano (JPN), as quoted by Kyodo News.

The 35-year-old made her Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver (CAN) Olympic Winter Games, taking a silver in the Team Pursuit event, where she came in 5th in the 1000m and 1500m, and 12th in the 500m.

Nao Kodaira (JPN) 2018 Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang (KOR) @GettyImages 921201968

Maki Tabata, Nao Kodaira and Masako Hozumi (JPN) celebrate during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver (CAN) @GettyImages

Despite this early success, it took Kodaira a while to catch up with the world’s fastest female sprinters, winning her career first World Cup race in Seoul (KOR) in November 2014.

‘Boze Kat’

In 2014 and 2015, she trained in the Netherlands under the guidance of former Dutch Speed Skater and Olympic Champion Marianne Timmer. Not only did Kodaira improve her skating technique, she also picked up the nickname "Boze Kat", because of the way she positions herself before the start of a race.

Kodaria’s biggest successes came after she had returned to her homeland Japan. Training with coach Masahiro Yuki (JPN), she took over the reign in women’s sprinting from 500m world record holder and friend Lee Sang-Hwa (KOR).

Nao Kodaira (JPN)  ISU World Cup Speed Skating @ISU 1384546486

Maki Tsuji, Nao Kodaira and Erina Kamiya (JPN) pose during the 2017 ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Stavanger (NOR) @ISU (International Skating Union)

Kodaira remained unbeaten in 23 World Cup races from November 2016 to November 2019.

Olympic glory

Bo Reum Kim (KOR), Nana Takagi (JPN) and Irene Schouten (NED)  PyeongChang 2018  Olympic Winter Games Gangneung (KOR) @GettyImages 923714332

Nao Kodaira (JPN) celebrates during the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang (KOR) @GettyImages

Winning 500m gold at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeonchang (KOR) was the jewel in Kodaira’s already impressive sprinting crown. She also took Olympic silver in the 1000m, the distance in which she held the world record between December 2017 and March 2019. Apart from her Olympic success, Kodaira also won two 500m World Single Distance titles (2017 and 2020) and two World Sprint titles (2017 and 2019). 

Her campaign to retain the 2022 Olympic 500m title in Beijing (CHN) was hampered by an ankle injury. She even contemplated not competing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games but decided to give it a go anyway, finishing 17th in the 500m and 10th in the 1000m.