Speedskating star Nao Kodaira paid an emotional tribute to her late friend and former teammate Miyako Sumiyoshi on Monday, a day after capturing the women's 500-meter gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Games.
Kodaira was left devastated after Sumiyoshi, who skated for Japan alongside Kodaira at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, was found dead in her home in Nagano last month aged just 30.
The cause of Sumiyoshi's death and other details were not publicly disclosed, and the wake and funeral were held privately in line with her family's wishes.