Two-time Olympic speed skating champion Lee Sang-hwa captured her third world title on Saturday in Russia.

Lee won the women's 500 meter gold medal at the International Skating Union World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships in Kolomna, Russia. The South Korean posted the track record time of 74.859 seconds after two runs. Brittany Bowe of the United States took the silver in 75.663 seconds, and Zhang Hong of China got the bronze in 75.688 seconds.

It was the first world championship in three years for Lee, who has won the past two Olympic gold medals in the 500m and also holds the world record in the distance at 36.36 seconds.

Lee, who also won in 2012 and 2013, has tied Catriona Le May Doan of Canada with three world titles in the 500m. Only Jenny Wolf of Germany has won more gold medals in the distance, with four. Both Le May Doan and Wolf are retired.

In the first run, Lee skated in the final pair with Zhang after Heather Richardson-Bergsma, the defending champ, set the bar with 37.81 seconds.

The South Korean promptly shot to the top of the standings with 37.42, breaking Wolf's track record from 2009 by 0.09 seconds.

Lee again had the fastest time in the second run with 37.43. Bowe, who only had the seventh-best time in the first run, posted the second-fastest time in her next run, 37.74, and ended in second place overall.

Zhang, who had the second-best time in the first run, could only manage the third-fastest mark in the second run and settled for bronze.

Prior to this competition, Lee and Zhang had been tied with four ISU World Cup titles apiece this season, though Zhang was leading Lee in World Cup points, 690 to 680, thanks to additional podium finishes. (Yonhap)