winter gamesIreen Wüst has written history in Beijing with gold in the 1500 meters. The 35-year-old from Brabant is the only athlete to have won an Olympic title five Winter Games in a row. Bronze went to Antoinette de Jong.
Wüst was almost half a second ahead of the Japanese top favorite Miho Takagi (1.53.72) with a thunderous Olympic record of 1.53.28. De Jong, who disappointed in the 3000 meters on Saturday, took beautiful bronze in 1.54.82 on the skating mile.
It is Wüst’s sixth Olympic gold medal. In total, it is her twelfth medal at the Games. Wüst was already the most successful Olympian in the Netherlands, but now also leaves all international winter sports greats behind with her fifth ‘golden Games’ in a row.
Takagi bows head in final lap
The 1500 meters, the queen’s number in skating, was exciting until the last round. Wüst set her best time in the twelfth stage. She dived more than one and a half seconds under the time of De Jong, who had led the classification until then.
After that, Wüst still had to wait for the times of six women. The American Brittany Bowe came well short and finished tenth. World record holder Takagi kept pace with Wüst in the last stage, but had to bow in the final lap.
Groenewoud next to podium
Marijke Groenewoud was less than two tenths short of a medal. The mass start specialist finished fifth in 1.54.97, just behind Japan’s Ayano Sato.
For Wüst, who will end her unparalleled career after this season, the gold hunt in Beijing is not over yet. The Brabant will start this Winter Games in the 1000 meters and the team pursuit.
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