Bitter loss led to a 2-day wait for Olympic gold for Wust
GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AP) A bitter loss on the opening day of competition only meant a two-day wait for Ireen Wust to get another Olympic gold medal.
The Dutch speedskater stormed back with a stirring last lap to win the 1,500 meters on Monday and turn the Oval into another Dutch party scene.
Wust won her fifth Olympic gold medal, and her 10th medal overall. She beat Miho Takagi of Japan while Marrit Leenstra made sure two more speedskating medals went to the Netherlands.
After three events, the Dutch have won six of the nine medals. It was nearly seven but Takagi’s silver broke up another Dutch sweep and left Lotte van Beek in fourth.
Wust’s 10 medals in speedskating surpasses the record set by Claudia Pechstein.
The hardnosed veteran even broke into tears, knowing her loss by .08 seconds in the 3,000 on Saturday was little more than a hiccup in her golden career.
When she saw her time held up after the final pairing, Wust leaped into the air with both arms raised and jumped into the arms of a coach.
She then ran around the infield, crying and blowing kisses to the crowd. She raced to the orange-clad Dutch crowd after the ceremony and tossed her mascot into the stands.
Wust was the first of the favorites to race and she finished in 1 minute, 54.35 seconds. Takagi was in the final pairing and finished 0.20 seconds behind.
Wust has now won gold in four straight Olympics, going back to the 2006 Turin Games.
Brittany Bowe of the United States finished fifth and reigning 1,500-meter champion Heather Bergsma slumped to eighth.
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