DutchNews, February 12,
2018
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| Ireen Wüst celebrates winning the 1500m. Photo: Vadim Ghirda/AP |
Speed skater Ireen Wüst won her fifth Olympic
title in dramatic fashion as Dutch skaters claimed three of the top four places
in the women’s 1500 metres.
Wüst’s victory makes her the most decorated speed
skater of all time, with 10 medals altogether. Only swimmer Michael Phelps and
sprinter Carl Lewis have won more individual gold medals at the Olympics.
Wüst
was the first of the Dutch team to skate in Pyeongchang, setting a time of
1:54.35. With one race to go her team-mates Marrit Leenstra and Lotte van Beek
were in second and third places, but the Dutch were denied a clean sweep as
Japan’s Miho Takagi snatched the silver in a time just 0.2 seconds slower than
Wüst.
The victory made up for Wüst’s disappointment in the 3000 metres final on
Sunday when she was surprisingly edged out by team-mate Carlijn Achtereekte as
the Netherlands won all three medals.
She told NOS: ‘I won my first gold medal
exactly 12 years ago but to have five feels unreal. It’s come full circle, it’s
a dream come true.’
Leenstra, who edged out Van Beek for the bronze by 0.01
seconds, said she was relieved to win a medal after a string of fourth places
in major championships.
‘It’s not gold, which is always what you’re aiming for,
but I’m just so glad to finally get on the podium,’ she said.
Wüst can add to
her medal tally in the 1000 metres on Wednesday and the team pursuit next week.
Earlier snowboarder Cheryl Maas finished in a disappointing 23rd place after
falling on both runs of the slopestyle final.
Strong winds delayed the event by
75 minutes, but Maas questioned whether the competition should have gone ahead
at all. ‘These are no conditions to compete in. Nobody knew whether they’d make
their landing or how far they could get.’
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