Nao KODAIRA

Japan

Speed Skating

Date of Birth: 26 May 1986

Age: 35

Gender: Female

Height (m/ft): 1.65/5'4''

Place of birth: CHINO

Birth Country:

Japan

Residence: NAGANO

Residence Country:

Japan

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Speed Skating	Women's 500m	17
	Women's 1000m	10

Records

Record	Event	Mark	Date	Location
OR	Women's 500m	36.94	18 February, 2018	PyeongChang (KOR)

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	National Speed Skating Oval	Women's 500m	Finished
	National Speed Skating Oval	Women's 1000m	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Athlete:

Historical Results

Olympic Games
Rank	Event	Year	Location
1	Women's 500m	2018	PyeongChang, KOR
2	Women's 1000m	2018	PyeongChang, KOR
2	Team Pursuit (6 laps)	2010	Vancouver, CAN
5	Women's 500m	2014	Sochi, RUS
5	Women's 1500m	2010	Vancouver, CAN
5	Women's 1000m	2010	Vancouver, CAN
6	Women's 1500m	2018	PyeongChang, KOR
12	Women's 500m	2010	Vancouver, CAN
13	Women's 1000m	2014	Sochi, RUS

World Single Distance Championships
Rank	Event	Year	Location
1	Women's 500m	2020	Salt Lake City, UT, USA
1	Women's 500m	2018	Gangneung, KOR
2	Women's Sprint	2020	Hamar, NOR
2	Women's 500m	2019	Inzell, GER
2	Women's 1000m	2018	Gangneung, KOR
3	Women's 1000m	2019	Inzell, GER
3	Women's 500m	2015	Heerenveen, NED
6	Women's 1000m	2020	Salt Lake City, UT, USA
6	Women's 500m	2016	Kolomna, RUS
7	Women's 500m	2013	Sochi, RUS
8	Women's 500m	2011	Inzell, GER
9	Women's 1500m	2020	Salt Lake City, UT, USA
11	Women's 1000m	2015	Heerenveen, NED
12	Women's 1000m	2012	Heerenveen, NED
12	Women's 1000m	2008	Nagano, JPN
13	Women's 1000m	2007	Salt Lake City, UT, USA
16	Women's 1000m	2013	Sochi, RUS
16	Women's 1000m	2011	Inzell, GER
18	Women's 500m	2012	Heerenveen, NED
24	Women's 500m	2008	Nagano, JPN

World Sprint Championships
Rank	Event	Year	Location
1	Women's Sprint	2019	Heerenveen, NED
1	Women's Sprint	2017	Calgary, AB, CAN
4	Women's Sprint	2010	Obihiro, JPN
5	Women's Sprint	2014	Nagano, JPN
5	Women's Sprint	2011	Heerenveen, NED
8	Women's Sprint	2016	Seoul, KOR
13	Women's Sprint	2012	Calgary, AB, CAN
20	Women's Sprint	2018	Changchun, CHN
22	Women's Sprint	2013	Salt Lake City, UT, USA
27	Women's Sprint	2015	Nur-Sultan, KAZ

World Cup
Season	Women's 500m	Women's 1000m	Women's 1500m
2019/20	1	2	15
2018/19	2	3
2017/18	4	6	27
2016/17	1	4	27
2015/16	11	19
2014/15	1	10	23
2013/14	5	9	32
2012/13	7	14	40
2011/12	6	14	24
2010/11	5	4	30
2009/10	6	8	17
2008/09	24	30
2007/08	22	23
2006/07	12	10

Nickname:

Boze Kat (‘Angry Cat’ in Dutch. Given by her teammates in The Netherlands for her style and emotions shown while skating).
Poet on the Ice (for her sometimes poetry-like responses to interview questions)

Hobbies:

Studying languages, photography, cooking, walking

Occupation:

Athlete

Education:

Shinshu University (Matsumoto, JPN)

Languages spoken:

Japanese, English, Dutch

Club name:

Aizawa Hospital

Coach:

Personal: Dennis van der Gun (NED), Johan de Wit (NED), Masahiro Yuki (JPN)

Debut:

2006 Desert Classic in Salt Lake City (500m - 13th, 1000m - 6th)
2006 World Cup in Heerenveen (500m - 11th, 1000m - 17th/15th)

Start:

Began skating at age three in Chino. (isu.org)

Reason:

Encouraged by her sisters to start speed skating. First dreamt of competing at the Olympic Games after seeing Hiroyasu Shimizu (JPN) win gold in the men’s 500m at Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games. (cgtn.com, 20 Feb 2018)

Ambition:

Defend her title in the 500m at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. (nikkei.com, 22 Oct 2020)

Memorable:

Winning 500m gold at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. (isu.org)

Hero:

Speed skater Cindy Klassen (CAN), six-time Olympic medallist and five-time world champion. (isu.org)

Philosophy:

"Altijd blijven lachen." (Always keep smiling) (isu.org)

Award:

PyeongChang Memorial Foundation’s Korea-Japan Friendship Award (2019)
Asahi TV Big Sports Award (2019)
People’s Honour Award (2018)
Chino Citizen Honorary Award (2010, 2018)
Matsumoto Citizen Honorary Award (2018)
Nagano Prefecture Citizen Honorary Award (2018)
Olympic Winter Games closing ceremony flagbearer (2018)
Japanese Olympic Committee Best Athlete Award (2017)
Japanese Olympic Committee Excellence Award (2016)
Japanese Olympic Committee Special Achievement Award (2014)

General Interest

LEARNING FROM THE BEST
Moved to the Netherlands after failing to win a medal at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Spent two years racing professionally and training with three-time Olympic gold medallist Marianne Timmer (NED). "I went to Holland more than to learn how to skate better technically, but to learn the skating culture. That was more important to me." (chicagotribune.com, 18 Feb 2018)

VOLUNTEER WORK
Volunteered at Yamadaino Orchards in Nagano, during 2020, after the apple farm was affected by a typhoon the previous year. Wore a red racing suit decorated with an apple design at the 2020 All Japan Single Distance Championships, in a show of support for the relief efforts in the region. (nikkei.com, 22 Oct 2020)

HONOURS
The Chino Sports Park International Skating Center in her hometown of Chino, was renamed the Nao Ice Oval in 2018 in recognition of her achievements.

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Japan named a new lily variety ‘Kodaira’ in October 2020, to honour the Kodaira who spent two years in the country. They hope the flower will serve as a bridge between the two countries. (city.chino.lg.jp, 3 Dec 2018; kyodonews.net, 16 Oct 2020)

Together with Lee Sang-Hwa (KOR), received the "Korea-Japan Friendship Award" from the 2018 Pyeongchang Memorial Foundation for their shared joy as they finished 1-2 in the 500 m at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The two nations have poor international relations. (asahi.com, 2019)

Milestones

First female Japanese speed skater to win an Olympic gold medal, after winning the 500m at PyeongChang 2018. Her victory, at age 31 years and 268 days, made her the oldest Japanese athlete to win an Olympic Winter Games gold medal. Record previously held by ski jumper Masahiko Harada who was 29 when he won the men’s team event in Nagano 1998. Her time, 36.94 seconds, was the first time a woman raced under 37 seconds at sea level.

Finished tenth in the 1000m at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

First Japanese woman to win an individual title at the World Single Distance Championships, winning the 500m in 2017.

Social Media

Legend

:: Gold Medal Event
OR:: Olympic Record

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