Move Over, Michael Phelps: Ireen Wüst Is First to Win Individual Gold at Five Olympics

Some athletes don’t know when to give up. 

That’s no downside for Ireen Wüst.

“I’ll depart on prime,” Wüst stated. “That is on prime, isn’t it?”

At age 35, she received the 1500m on the 2022 Winter Olympics in Olympic report time on Monday, defending her title.

Already essentially the most embellished Olympic pace skater of all time, the Dutchwoman received her sixth gold medal and twelfth medal total. She is the primary Olympian to win a person gold medal in 5 Olympic Video games, summer season or winter, male or feminine, breaking a tie with athletes equivalent to Carl Lewis, Michael Phelps and Al Oerter.

Wüst, essentially the most profitable Dutch pace skater in historical past, hadn’t fairly wrapped her head round what all of it meant. “After all, it means loads, however I don’t understand it but. So ask me this query once more in 10 days. It’s simply an emotional mess in my head and it’s only one blissful place.”

Skating 4 pairs from the top — which means she wasn’t one of many favorites — Wüst clocked 1:53.28 to interrupt the Olympic report of countrywoman Jorien ter Mors by .23 and transfer forward of Antoinette de Jong of the Netherlands, who had set the tempo at 1:54.82.

“An Olympic report on this monitor is wonderful,” stated Wüst, who got here in ranked No. 7 on the planet within the occasion. “The time is admittedly quick, so I used to be actually proud already of myself that I did my finest 1500 on the largest second. After which it’s actually nervous as a result of you already know a number of good skaters are coming forward. Yeah, it’s nerve-racking.”

Ayano Sato of Japan, ranked No. 1 on the planet, was within the subsequent pair. She couldn’t overtake Wüst. Then it was No. 2-ranked Brittany Bowe’s flip. The American wound up tenth.

“Simply didn’t have the legs there on the finish,” stated Bowe, who opened up quick and can race once more within the 500 and her specialty, the 1000. “The women that come from that 3K/1500 specialty undoubtedly have the higher hand at present.”

Lastly, Miho Takagi was within the final pairing. She completed with a time of 1:53.72.

That gave Wüst the gold medal and her fifth straight medal within the occasion courting again to 2006. She already held the report at 4 straight.

“At the moment she has the right race at one of the best second,” stated de Jong, “and that’s actually good.”

Going into the race, Wüst had a sense she would carry out nicely.

“Anticipate is just not fairly an excellent phrase for it,” Wüst stated, “however I felt actually good in coaching. I did wonderful lap instances in coaching so I knew I used to be good and I needed to belief on it.”

After all, she’s not completed but. Wüst, who additionally has 5 silver medals and a bronze, nonetheless has the 1000m and the ladies’s crew pursuit.

That may give her a complete of 15 particular person Olympic races and 5 crew pursuits.

At her first Olympic Video games in 2006, she received her first race, the 3000m, to change into the youngest Dutch champion within the sport at age 19. She then received the 1500 in 2010, the 3000 once more in 2014 and the 1500 in 2018.

Wüst additionally has additionally received seven world all-round titles and 15 world distance championships gold medals plus 15 silvers and one bronze.

However the Olympics maintain a particular place in her coronary heart.

“Simply see the rings, it’s one thing magical and also you dream about it as a child after which it’s a blessing to even compete on the Olympics,” Wüst stated, “and it’s one thing I need to present my actually, actually finest. And I actually loved it.”

She teared up when speaking to Dutch media after the race, speaking about her buddy and former teammate, Paulien van Deutekom, who died of lung most cancers at age 37 in 2019. 

Wüst stated she thinks about her buddy every single day.

She dismissed any discuss her age. “It’s nearly how I really feel,” she stated. “I’m not pondering, ‘I’m 35. I’m too previous.’ No, no.”

And but Wüst is able to retire. She stated her final race is March 12 on the World Cup Closing.

“Phrases can’t describe her class,” Bowe stated of Wüst. “She is the best of all time, as her efficiency exhibits. One other Olympic gold medal in Olympic report trend. I’m honored to have competed towards her for thus a few years and much more so to name her a buddy.”

Karen Rosen, who has coated each summer season and winter Olympics since 1992, is a particular contributor to NBCOlympics.com.