Wust bags gold, setting new Olympic record in women's 1500m speed skating

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) - Ireen Wust of the Netherlands on Monday bagged a gold medal in the women's speed skating 1500m race and set a new Olympic record of 1:53.28 in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The Dutch skater broke the record of her compatriot Jorien ter Mors' 1:53.51 time in the 2014 Games.

The 35-year-old also came out on top against current world record holder Miho Takagi of Japan as she made 1:53.72 to get the silver, while Dutch skater Antoinette de Jong finished third with 1:54.82.

Now boasting 10 Olympic medals, Wust became the most successful speed skater in Olympic history.

She won her first Olympic medals in Turin, Italy in 2006, bagging one gold medal in the women's speed skating 3000m and a bronze in the women's speed skating 1500m.

The Dutch skater grabbed one gold in the women's speed skating 1500m in Vancouver 2010, then bagged a remarkable four medals in Sochi, Russia 2014, including a gold in women's speed skating 3000m.

In PyeongChang 2018 she was awarded two more Olympic medals, including the gold in the women's speed skating 1500m.

Separately she won two medals with the national team: one gold medal in Sochi 2014 and one silver medal in PyeongChang 2018 in the women's speed skating team pursuit.