“Queen of speed skating” Lee Sang-hwa on Saturday proved she has what it takes to be on top of the world as she broke her own world record for the second time in two days at the International Skating Union Speed Skating World Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Her victory paints a rosy picture for the Winter Olympics next year, where she will vie for a second consecutive gold medal in a row following her first at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

In Saturday’s second leg of the competition, Lee won the women’s 500m in 36.36 seconds, a 0.21-second improvement on her own record time of 36.57 seconds set the day before.

This marks the fourth time that Lee has set the world record in the 500m competition. Her first was in a World Cup race in Calgary in January with a time of 36.80 seconds. The second was set also in Calgary on Nov.9 as she won the first World Cup of the season in 36.74 seconds.

Lee is one of only four skaters to have broken the world record in the women’s 500m at least four times, following Christa Rothenburger of Germany, Bonnie Blair of the U.S. and Catriona Le May Doan of Canada.

The future looks bright for Lee, as experts predict a possible gold medal for the Sochi Olympics next February. If successful, she will become the fourth woman to become a 500m repeat Olympic gold medalist after Lyudmila Titova of old Soviet Union, Blair and Le May Doan. The 24-year-old is the only Korean woman to have won an Olympic medal in speed skating.

“Lee has shed 5 kilograms since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. However, her muscular strength has improved through thorough training, which will allow speed and acceleration at the same time.

“Whether she can maintain good condition will be the key to her challenge for Sochi but we are not too worried. She is famous for having a perfect sense of self-control,” an insider said.

Lee, born in 1989, first competed internationally at age 14. She became an instant sensation at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics when she held off world record holder Jenny Wolf to win the women’s 500 meters.

(From news reports)