Ireen Wüst

Irene Karlijn (Ireen) Wüst (Dutch pronunciation: [iˈreːn ʋyst]; born 1 April 1986) is a Dutch former long track speed skater of German ancestry. 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 also the only athlete to win an individual gold medal in five consecutive Olympics, Summer or Winter.^[1][2]

Ireen Wüst

Wüst in 2013
Personal information
Nationality	Dutch
Born	(1986-04-01) 1 April 1986 (age 37) Goirle, Netherlands
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	63 kg (139 lb)
Website	ireenwust.nl
Sport
Country	Netherlands
Sport	Speed skating
Event(s)	1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m
Club	IJsclub Tilburg TVM Schaatsploeg Reggeborgh
Turned pro	2005
Retired	2022
Medal record Women's speed skating Representing the  Netherlands Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 6 5 2 World Allround 7 4 2 World Sprint 0 1 0 World Distance 15 15 1 European Allround 5 4 2 European Distance 3 2 0 Total 36 31 7 Olympic Games 2006 Turin 3000 m 2010 Vancouver 1500 m 2014 Sochi 3000 m 2014 Sochi Team pursuit 2018 Pyeongchang 1500 m 2022 Beijing 1500 m 2014 Sochi 1000 m 2014 Sochi 1500 m 2014 Sochi 5000m 2018 Pyeongchang 3000m 2018 Pyeongchang Team pursuit 2006 Turin 1500m 2022 Beijing Team pursuit World Allround Championships 2007 Heerenveen Allround 2011 Calgary Allround 2012 Moscow Allround 2013 Hamar Allround 2014 Heerenveen Allround 2017 Hamar Allround 2020 Hamar Allround 2008 Berlin Allround 2015 Calgary Allround 2016 Berlin Allround 2018 Amsterdam Allround 2009 Hamar Allround 2010 Heerenveen Allround World Sprint Championships 2007 Hamar Sprint World Single Distance Championships 2007 Salt Lake City 1000 m 2007 Salt Lake City 1500 m 2008 Nagano Team pursuit 2011 Inzell 1500m 2011 Inzell 3000m 2012 Heerenveen Team pursuit 2013 Sochi 1500m 2013 Sochi 3000m 2013 Sochi Team pursuit 2016 Kolomna Team pursuit 2017 Gangneung 3000m 2017 Gangneung Team pursuit 2019 Inzell 1500 m 2020 Salt Lake City 1500 m 2021 Heerenveen Team pursuit 2007 Salt Lake City Team pursuit 2009 Vancouver 1500m 2009 Vancouver Team pursuit 2011 Inzell 1000m 2011 Inzell Team pursuit 2012 Heerenveen 1500m 2013 Sochi 1000m 2013 Sochi 5000m 2015 Heerenveen 1500m 2015 Heerenveen 3000m 2015 Heerenveen Team pursuit 2016 Kolomna 3000m 2017 Gangneung 1500m 2019 Inzell Team pursuit 2020 Salt Lake City Team pursuit 2012 Heerenveen 3000m European Allround Championships 2008 Kolomna Allround 2013 Heerenveen Allround 2014 Hamar Allround 2015 Chelyabinsk Allround 2017 Heerenveen Allround 2007 Collalbo Allround 2010 Hamar Allround 2011 Collalbo Allround 2016 Minsk Allround 2006 Hamar Allround 2012 Budapest Allround European Single Distance Championships 2020 Heerenveen 1500 m 2020 Heerenveen Team pursuit 2022 Heerenveen Team pursuit 2020 Heerenveen Team sprint 2022 Heerenveen 1500 m

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 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.^[3] 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, 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, 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 in Turin. Before the Olympics, she started in the 2006 European Championships in Hamar, 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^[4] 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, finishing fourth. At her last event, the 1500 metres, she won a bronze medal behind Cindy Klassen and Kristina Groves 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.^[5]

After the end of the season, Wüst was elected as the best Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 2006.^[6] 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. The following weekend she competed in the 2007 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Hamar, again winning the silver medal. She became World Allround Champion during the 2007 World Allround Championships for the home crowd in Heerenveen. 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. 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.^[7] 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 she won a gold medal in the 1500 metres.^[8]

2014 Olympic Games in Sochi

 

Wüst (left) with teammates Jorien ter Mors (center) and Lotte van Beek (right) at the women's team pursuit podium during the 2014 Olympic Games

At the 2014 Winter Olympics, she won gold medals in the 3000 metres and in the team pursuit, and silver medals in the 1000m, 1500m and 5000m.^[9][10]

2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, 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.^[11] 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.^[12] 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, she won a gold medal in the 1500 metres, setting a new Olympic record time and becoming the first athlete to earn individual gold medals at five different Olympics (spanning 16 years).^[1]

Personal records

Personal records^[13]
Women's speed skating
Event	Result	Date	Location	Notes
500m	38.44	9 February 2007	Heerenveen
1000m	1:12.64	15 February 2020	Salt Lake City
1500m	1:50.718	10 March 2019	Salt Lake City	ER
3000m	3:58.01	12 February 2011	Calgary
5000m	6:54.28	19 February 2014	Sochi
Team pursuit	2:56.02	17 November 2013	Salt Lake City	ER

She is currently in 5th position on the Adelskalender^[14] with a score of 156.436 points.

Tournament overview

Season	Dutch Championships Single Distances	Dutch Championships Sprint	Dutch Championships Allround	European Championships Allround	World Championships Allround	World Championships Sprint	World Championships Single Distances	Olympic Games	World Cup GWC	World Championships Junior Allround	European Championships Single Distances
2003–04	9th 500m 9th 1500m									ROSEVILLE 11th 500m   1500m   1000m   3000m   overall   Team pursuit
2004–05	5th 1000m 4th 1500m		500m 5th 3000m   1500m 5th 5000m   overall	HEERENVEEN 7th 500m   3000m   1500m 6th 5000m 4th overall	MOSCOW 5th 500m 4th 3000m   1500m 6th 5000m 5th overall				28th 1500m	SEINÄJOKI   500m   1500m   1000m   3000m   overall   Team pursuit
2005–06	1000m   1500m   3000m			HAMAR 5th 500m 4th 3000m   1500m 4th 5000m   overall	CALGARY 5th 500m 7th 3000m   1500m 7th 5000m 4th overall			TURIN 4th 1000m   1500m   3000m 6th Team pursuit	7th 1000m   1500m 25th 3/5 km 5th team pursuit
2006–07	4th 500m   1000m   1500m   3000m		500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	COLLALBO   500m   3000m   1500m 6th 5000m   overall	HEERENVEEN   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	HAMAR 14th 500m   1000m 10th 500m   1000m   overall	SALT LAKE CITY   1000m   1500m 5th 3000m   Team pursuit		29th 500m 6th 1000m   1500m 6th 3/5 km   Team pursuit
2007–08	8th 500m   1000m   1500m 4th 3000m	5th 500m   1000m 4th 500m   1000m   overall	500m   3000m 4th 1500m   5000m   overall	KOLOMNA 4th 500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	BERLIN   500m 4th 3000m   1500m 4th 5000m   overall	HEERENVEEN 19th 500m   1000m 19th 500m   1000m 6th overall	NAGANO 9th 1000m 7th 1500m   Team pursuit		42nd 500m   1000m   1500m 7th 3/5 km
2008–09	10th 500m 6th 1000m   1500m DQ 3000m	13th 500m 7th 1000m DNS 500m DNQ 1000m NC overall	500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	HEERENVEEN 6th 500m 7th 3000m 4th 1500m 5th 5000m 6th overall	HAMAR   500m 7th 3000m   1500m 8th 5000m   overall		VANCOUVER   1500m   Team pursuit		36th 1000m 6th 1500m   Team pursuit
2009–10	6th 500m 5th 1000m   1500m   3000m			HAMAR 4th 500m   3000m   1500m 5th 5000m   overall	HEERENVEEN 6th 500m   3000m   1500m 7th 5000m   overall			VANCOUVER 8th 1000m   1500m 7th 3000m 6th Team pursuit	53rd 500m 19th 1000m 6th 1500m 9th 3/5 km 5th Team pursuit
2010–11	NC 500m 5th 1000m   1500m   3000m	5th 500m   1000m 8th 500m  1000m 4th overall		COLLALBO 6th 500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	CALGARY   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	HEERENVEEN 13th 500m   1000m 16th 500m  1000m 7th overall	INZELL   1000m   1500m   3000m   Team pursuit		5th 1000m   1500m 9th 3/5 km   Team pursuit
2011–12	1000m   1500m   3000m	8th 500m   1000m 9th 500m   1000m 5th overall		BUDAPEST   500m 5th 3000m 6th 1500m   5000m   overall	MOSCOW   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall		HEERENVEEN 5th 1000m   1500m   3000m   Team pursuit		5th 1000m   1500m 8th 3/5 km 6th Team pursuit   Grand World Cup
2012–13	6th 1000m   1500m   3000m	10th 500m   1000m 11th 500m   1000m 5th overall	500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	HEERENVEEN 4th 500m   3000m   1500m  5000m   overall	HAMAR   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall		SOCHI   1000m   1500m   3000m   5000m   Team pursuit		12th 1000m   1500m 6th 3/5 km   Team pursuit   Grand World Cup
2013–14	1000m   1500m   3000m	8th 500m   1000m 7th 500m DQ 1000m NC overall		HAMAR   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	HEERENVEEN   500m   3000m   1500m  5000m   overall			SOCHI   1000m   1500m   3000m   5000m   Team pursuit	6th 1000m   1500m 6th 3/5 km   Team pursuit   Grand World Cup
2014–15	1000m   1500m   3000m	13th 500m   1000m DNS 500m DNS 1000m NC overall	500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	CHELYABINSK   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	CALGARY   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall		HEERENVEEN 4th 1000m   1500m   3000m   Team pursuit		6th 1000m 4th 1500m   3/5 km   Team pursuit 4th Grand World Cup
2015–16	1000m   1500m   3000m	11th 500m   1000m 12th 500m   1000m 6th overall		MINSK   500m   3000m   1500m 4th 5000m   overall	BERLIN 4th 500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall		KOLOMNA 6th 1000m 4th 1500m   3000m   Team pursuit		20th 1500m 17th 3/5 km   Team pursuit
2016–17	10th 500m   1000m   1500m   3000m	5th 500m   1000m 5th 500m   1000m   overall		HEERENVEEN   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall	HAMAR   500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall		GANGNEUNG   1500m   3000m   Team pursuit		11th 1000m 4th 1500m 9th 3/5 km   Team pursuit
2017–18	1000m   1500m   3000m				AMSTERDAM 9th 500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall			GANGNEUNG 9th 1000m   1500m   3000m   Team pursuit	16th 1000m 7th 1500m 12th 3/5 km   Team pursuit
2018–19	1000m   1500m   3000m			COLLALBO 4th 500m 7th 3000m 5th 1500m 7th 5000m 4th overall	CALGARY   500m 6th 3000m   1500m 7th 5000m 5th overall		INZELL   1500m 5th 3000m   Team pursuit		53rd 500m 8th 1000m   1500m 24th 3/5 km 4th Team pursuit   Team sprint
2019–20	1000m   1500m 5th 3000m				HAMAR 4th 500m   3000m   1500m   5000m   overall		SALT LAKE CITY 4th 1000m   1500m   Team pursuit		14th 1000m   1500m		HEERENVEEN 5th 1000m   1500m   Team pursuit   Team sprint
2020–21	1000m 4th 1500m 5th 3000m	12th 500m 4th 1000m 10th 500m   1000m 6th overall					HEERENVEEN 5th 1500m   Team pursuit		5th 1000m   1500m   Team pursuit
2021–22	1000m   1500m 5th 3000m	7th 500m   1000m 8th 500m DQ 1000m NC overall						BEIJING 6th 1000m   1500m   Team pursuit	19th 1000m 6th 1500m   Team Pursuit		HEERENVEEN   1500 m   Team pursuit

Source:^[15][16][17]

World Cup overview

Season	500 meter
2004–2005
2005–2006
2006–2007	8th	–	14th	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2007–2008	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1st(b)
2008–2009
2009–2010
2010–2011
2011–2012
2012–2013
2013–2014
2014–2015
2015–2016
2016–2017
2017–2018
2018–2019
2019–2020
2020–2021
2021–2022

Season	1000 meter
2004–2005
2005–2006	6th	–	–	–	–
2006–2007				–	–	–	–	–	–
2007–2008	7th	8th	12th	6th	4th					4th
2008–2009	16th	13th	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2009–2010	1st(b)	5th	16th	–	–	–	16th
2010–2011		5th	–	–	–	–
2011–2012	11th	5th	7th		5th		–
2012–2013	–	–	–	–	–	5th			–
2013–2014	7th		–	–	–
2014–2015		6th	–	4th	5th	–	–
2015–2016
2016–2017	5th	6th	–	5th	–	–	–
2017–2018	11th	14th	–	–	4th	–
2018–2019	5th	4th	4th	8th	–	6th
2019–2020	7th	5th	–	10th	–
2020–2021	5th	6th
2021–2022	6th	9th	9th	–

Season	1500 meter
2004–2005	–	–	–	1st(b)	–
2005–2006	6th	7th	4th	–
2006–2007			–
2007–2008	5th	13th	–	5th		–
2008–2009	8th	7th	–		4th	11th
2009–2010	11th			12th	9th	–
2010–2011			–
2011–2012						–
2012–2013	–*	–	–
2013–2014			–
2014–2015				4th	–	–
2015–2016	–	–	–	–	4th	–
2016–2017			–		–	–
2017–2018	4th	–	4th	–		–
2018–2019	4th				–	4th
2019–2020
2020–2021
2021–2022	4th		4th	-

Season	3000/5000 meter
2004–2005
2005–2006	–	–	–*	1st(b)	–
2006–2007			–		–*	–
2007–2008	9th	7th	–*		–*	–
2008–2009
2009–2010	11th	6th	–*	6th	4th	–
2010–2011	4th	8th	–*		–*	–
2011–2012		4th	–*		–*	–
2012–2013	8th	–	–		–*
2013–2014		–	–*			–
2014–2015		–*				–
2015–2016	–	–*	–	–		–
2016–2017	7th	5th	–	–*		–
2017–2018	6th	–		–	–
2018–2019	6th	6th	–*
2019–2020
2020–2021
2021–2022

Season	Team pursuit
2004–2005
2005–2006	–		–
2006–2007		–
2007–2008	–	–	–	–
2008–2009			–
2009–2010		–	4th	–
2010–2011		–
2011–2012		DNF	–	–
2012–2013	–	–
2013–2014				–
2014–2015			–
2015–2016
2016–2017		–	–
2017–2018		–	–	–
2018–2019		–	4th
2019–2020			–
2020–2021
2021–2022			-

Source:^[18]

– = 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

Championship	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Dutch Single Distances	18	12	9
Dutch Allround	15	6	6
Dutch Sprint	10	5	2
European Allround	21	16	8
Olympic Games	6	5	2
World Single Distances	15	15	1
World Allround	22	26	11
World Sprint Classification	1	6	0
World Cup	48	41	22
World Cup GWC	9	7	10
World Junior	4	5	1

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.^[19] 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 in Beijing.^[20]

Wüst is bisexual and first discussed being in a relationship with a woman in a 2009 Dutch interview.^[21]

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.^[22]

See also

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

References

1. "Speed skater Ireen Wüst makes Olympic history with gold at fifth straight Games". The Guardian. Associated Press. 7 February 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
2. "Ireen Wüst becomes the first person to win individual golds at five Olympics". The New York Times. 7 February 2022.
3. "Ireen WÜST – Olympic Speed skating – Netherlands". International Olympic Committee. 17 February 2018.
4. . sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
5. "Wüst vierde halverwege WK allround" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. 18 March 2006. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
6. "Bos en Wüst sporters van het jaar" (in Dutch). rtl.nl. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
7. "Kramer and Wüst win at European Championships". The New York Times. 3 January 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

February 16, 2024