Irene Karlijn "Ireen" Wüst (; born 1 April 1986) is a Dutch former long track
speed skater. Wüst became the most successful
speed skating Olympian ever by achieving at least one gold medal in each of five consecutive
Winter Olympic appearances. Wüst is the second athlete (after Britain's
Steve Redgrave) to win a gold medal at five consecutive Olympics, Summer or Winter, and the first to do so in individual events.
Wüst is both the youngest
Dutch Olympic gold medalist and the oldest speed skating gold medalist in the history of the Winter Games. At the age of nineteen, on 12 February 2006, she won the gold medal at the
2006 Winter Olympic Games 3000 metre event; four years later at the
2010 Winter Olympic Games
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
she won the
1500 metre event; at the
2014 Winter Olympic Games she won two gold and three silver medals, making her the most decorated athlete at the Sochi Games. Following her record sixth speed skating gold medal in the 1500 metres and bronze in the team pursuit event at the 2022 Winter Olympics she has won a record thirteen Olympic medals, more than any other speed skater, making her the most successful athlete of the
Netherlands at the Olympics. She is also a seven-time
world allround champion, a fifteen-time
world single distance champion, and a five-time
European allround champion. In 2014, she was elected by Reuters as the Sportswoman of the World.
Skating career
Wüst debuted at the
2004 KNSB Dutch Single Distance Championships in November 2003 with ninth place in both the 500m and 1500m events. At the end of the season, she won the silver medal in the world junior championships in
Roseville, Minnesota
Roseville is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. It is one of two Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Twin Cities suburbs that are bordered directly by Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul and Minneapolis (Lauderdale, M ...
, USA. The following season she qualified for the
2004–05 World Cup during the
2005 KNSB Dutch Single Distance Championships with fifth place in the 1000m and fourth place in the 1500m. With a third place at the 2005
KNSB Dutch Allround Championships, she qualified for her first international senior tournament, the
2005 European Championships in Heerenveen. There she came fourth and secured a spot in the Dutch team for the
2005 World Allround Championships in Moscow, Russia, where she finished in fifth place. She then became World Junior Champion in
Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki (; "Wall River"; , formerly ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Ostrobothnia. Seinäjoki is located in the western interior of the country and along the Seinäjoki (river), River Seinäjoki. The population of Sein ...
, Finland.
Season 2005–2006
Before the start of the season, Wüst signed a deal with
TVM and started training under the guidance of
Gerard Kemkers. At the
2006 KNSB Dutch Single Distance Championships, which also served as the Olympic Trials, Wüst won the 1000m, 1500m, and 3000m, which gave her a spot in the Dutch Olympic Team for the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...
in
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
. Before the Olympics, she started in the
2006 European Championships in
Hamar
Hamar is a List of cities in Norway, town in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet Counties of Norway, county, Norway. Hamar is the administrative centre of Hamar Municipality. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Hedmarken. ...
, where she won the bronze medal behind
Claudia Pechstein of Germany and teammate
Renate Groenewold.
Olympic Games in Turin
At the
2006 Olympics, her first distance was the
3000 metres
The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track.
It is debated whether the 3000 m sho ...
where Wüst beat Groenewold and
Cindy Klassen of Canada for the gold medal and became The Netherlands' youngest ever Winter Olympics champion. She missed out on the podium in the
1000 metres
The 1000 metres, 1 kilometer run, or 1K run is an uncommon middle-distance running event in track and field competitions. It consists of two and a half laps around an outdoor 400 m track, or five laps around an indoor 200 m track.
The 1000 ...
, finishing fourth. At her last event, the
1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...
, she won a bronze medal behind Cindy Klassen and
Kristina Groves
Kristina Nicole Groves (born December 4, 1976) is a Canadian retired speed skater. She is Canada's most decorated skater in the World Single Distances Championships with 13 career medals in this event.http://vancouver.sportingnews.com/wolympics/ ...
of Canada. At her last event of the season, the
2006 World Allround Championships, Wüst finished fourth after she had been ill a few days before the tournament.
After the end of the season, Wüst was elected as the best
Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 2006. She was also elected female skater of the year.
Season 2006–2007
Wüst started the season with two titles and one second place at the
2007 Dutch Distance Championships. She also won the
2007 Dutch Allround Championships. At the
2007 European Championships, Wüst led the championships after 3 of 4 distances but was beaten by
Martina Sáblíková
Martina Sáblíková () (born 27 May 1987) is a Czech speed skater, specializing in long track speed skating. She is an Olympic gold medal winner and a multiple European and World allround champion. She became the first Czech to win two Olym ...
. The following weekend she competed in the
2007 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships
The 2007 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships were held in Vikingskipet, Hamar
Hamar is a List of cities in Norway, town in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet Counties of Norway, county, Norway. Hamar is the administrative centre of Hamar M ...
in
Hamar
Hamar is a List of cities in Norway, town in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet Counties of Norway, county, Norway. Hamar is the administrative centre of Hamar Municipality. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Hedmarken. ...
, again winning the silver medal. She became World Allround Champion during the
2007 World Allround Championships for the home crowd in
Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, ) is a town and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the m ...
. She won the
2006–07 World Cup in the 1500 m after winning two of the six races, as well as the 1000 m during the World Cup Final in
Calgary
Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
. At the
2007 World Distance Championships, she won a gold medal in the 1000 m, breaking the national record, and another in the 1500 m. With Renate Groenewold and
Paulien van Deutekom, she won silver in the team pursuit behind Canada.
Season 2007–2008
After a difficult start to the season, Wüst won the European allround title in January 2008. Her main competitor this year was
Paulien van Deutekom. Wüst finished second behind van Deutekom during the World Allround Championships in Berlin. In
Nagano during the
2008 World Distance Championships, she won the gold medal in the team pursuit alongside Groenewold and Van Deutekom. Wüst won only one world race this season, the 1500m in Hamar.
2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver
At the
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
she won a gold medal in the
1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...
.
2014 Olympic Games in Sochi
At the
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...
, she won gold medals in the
3000 metres
The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track.
It is debated whether the 3000 m sho ...
and in the
team pursuit
The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, starting on opposite sides of the velodrome.
Race format
Both men's and women's events are competed over ...
, and silver medals in the
1000m,
1500m and
5000m.
2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang
At the
2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...
, she won a gold medal in the 1500 metres and a silver medal in the 3000 metres. Her 1500 m gold medal was her
fourth consecutive medal at this distance at the Olympics, and this was the fourth Olympics in a row in which she won an individual gold medal, the first time this was achieved by a Winter Olympian. She also became the second speed skater to win the Olympic 1500 metres twice (after
Lidiya Skoblikova in 1960 and 1964), and the
first Dutch athlete to win five gold medals and ten medals overall at the Olympics. She also became the first speed skater, male or female, to win
eleven Olympic medals, and the first female Winter Olympian to win
nine individual medals.
2022 Olympic Games in Beijing
At the
2022 Winter Olympics
The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), were an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing, China, and surrounding areas wit ...
, she won a gold medal in the
1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...
, setting a new Olympic record time and becoming the first athlete to earn individual gold medals at five different Olympics (spanning 16 years).
Personal records
She is currently in 5th position on the
Adelskalender with a score of 156.436 points.
Tournament overview
Source:
World Cup overview
Source:
:''– = Did not participate''
:''* = 5000m''
:''(b) = Division B''
:''DNF = Did not finish''
:''DQ = Disqualified''
:''NC = No classification''
:''DNQ =Did not qualify''
Medals won
updated December 2021
Personal life
On 1 March 2006, Wüst was awarded as
Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion for services to sport, i.e., winning the women's 3000 m speed skating competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. On 22 February 2022, she was further appointed a
Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau for her outstanding performance in sport in general over the years and winning the women's 1500 m speed skating competition at the
2022 Winter Olympics
The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), were an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing, China, and surrounding areas wit ...
in Beijing.
Wüst is bisexual and first discussed being in a relationship with a woman in a 2009 Dutch interview.
The umlaut "ü" in her family name, which is normally not used in Dutch, stems from a German ancestor who settled as a merchant in the Friesian town of
Dokkum at the end of the 18th century.
See also
*
List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
This article lists the individuals who have won at least four gold medals at the Olympic Games or at least three gold medals in individual events.
List of most Olympic gold medals over career
This is a partial list of multiple Olympic gold medali ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wust, Ireen
1986 births
Dutch female speed skaters
Speed skaters at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Speed skaters at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Speed skaters at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Speed skaters at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Speed skaters at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Olympic speed skaters for the Netherlands
Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Olympic medalists in speed skating
Olympic gold medalists for the Netherlands
Olympic silver medalists for the Netherlands
Olympic bronze medalists for the Netherlands
Bisexual sportswomen
Dutch bisexual women
Dutch LGBTQ sportspeople
Sportspeople from Goirle
Living people
Dutch people of German descent
World Allround Speed Skating Championships medalists
World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships medalists
World Sprint Speed Skating Championships medalists
LGBTQ speed skaters
21st-century Dutch sportswomen