Nicknamed the "Angry Cat" for her posture and a mean streak developed during two seasons honing her skills in the Netherlands, Nao Kodaira has sharpened her claws and is poised to pounce in the women's speedskating 1,000 meters at the Pyeongchang Games.
Kodaira headlines Wednesday's field as the woman to beat, having set the world of record of 1 minute, 12.09 seconds at the Utah Olympic Oval in a World Cup meet in December.
The 1,000 will be the first of two sprint gold medals Kodaira is taking aim at here, the 31-year-old from Nagano is also the favorite in the 500, a distance she is unbeaten in at home and abroad in 24 races stretching back to last season.