Japan's Olympic captain Nao Kodaira upstaged two-time defending Olympic champion and close rival Lee Sang Hwa in front of the South Korean's home fans to win the women's 500-meter speed skating gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Games on Sunday.

The pre-race favorite, Kodaira tore up the Gangneung Oval in an Olympic-record 36.94 seconds to add to the silver medal she won in Wednesday's 1,000 meters.

"I was able to concentrate from the start, and pull out the kind of race I'm capable of," said Kodaira, who also owns a women's team pursuit silver from the 2010 Vancouver Games, but was only fifth over the shortest distance in Sochi in 2014.

"There were times when I had not thought about winning gold, but still I feel like I've been rewarded. So many people have supported me, accepting me through good times and bad. I believe that all of those people made this possible."

Lee, the world and previous Olympic record holder, took her mark accompanied by deafening applause. The South Korean favorite clocked 37.33 for the silver, while Karolina Erbanova of the Czech Republic took the bronze in 37.34.

Lee, who got another huge hero's reception during the post-race ceremony, said the local fans' excitement was her reward.

"I don't care about silver or bronze or gold because I already have two gold medals from the Winter Olympic Games," Lee said. "Here in Korea, in my home, it was exciting for Korea. So many Koreans were cheering for us, so I was excited."

Erbanova trained with Kodaira in the Netherlands after the Sochi Olympics and said the experience had changed her.

"We came to the Dutch team after the Sochi Olympics. It was important because we were learning the Dutch way of skating actually. I think it's really typical," said Erbanova

"Nao decided to go back to Japan and I stayed in Netherlands with a different team, but they were important years. You just meet people as you go through your sporting career and you pick the things from each of them and put it together and try to choose what's best for you and that's what I tried to do."

Kodaira's gold medal was Japan's second of the Pyeongchang Games after Yuzuru Hanyu completed his comeback from an ankle injury to successfully defend his men's figure skating title on Saturday.

It was also the first gold by a Japanese female speed skater and Japan's first in the sport since Hiroyasu Shimizu won the men's 500 on home ice at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

Kodaira was widely expected to win the 1,000 gold, having set the world record in December at a World Cup race in Salt Lake City, but she made no mistake in her favored 500. The victory extended her winning streak at that distance to 25 domestic and international races.

"When I was named captain, people were talking about a jinx, about captains not being able to win gold medals," Kodaira said. "But I was absolutely confident regarding the 500 meters, a strong desire, and today I think was proof of that."

Kodaira's gold raised Japan's medal total here to 10, matching the nation's previous record set at home in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

Japan's Arisa Go finished eighth in 37.67, while compatriot Erina Kamiya finished 13th.

Earlier, Japan's Shane Williamson, Shota Nakamura and Seitaro Ichinohe missed out on a place in the men's pursuit team semifinals.

Japan placed fifth in the quarterfinals in 3:41.62 and will compete against Italy in the race to determine fifth and sixth.

More on Nao Kodaira at the Winter Olympics:

Olympics: Kodaira pays tribute to late friend after gold medal win

Olympics: Kodaira credits Hanyu's heroics for women's 500 gold

Winter Olympics: Friendly rivals Kodaira, Lee set to duel in Pyeongchang