Ireen Wüst made history as the most successful Olympic speed skater of all time during this year’s Winter Games.
The athlete, who is bisexual and representing the Netherlands, won her sixth gold medal in the Women’s 1500m on 7 February by less than half a second.
It marks the first time a competitor has won an individual gold medal at five different Olympics (Summer or Winter).
“This is just amazing. There’s a lot of different emotions going through my mind right now. I mean, it’s just bizarre that I was able to pull it off once again… I just have no words for it,” Wüst said.
“There’s something magical that gets to me when it comes down to the Games. There’s something at the Games that brings out the best in me.”
She now has 12 Olympic medals to her name and even set a new record with a time of 1:53.28.
“She had to skate the last pair, so I was really nervous because I thought maybe she would beat it,” Wüst explained of having to watch world record holder Miho Takagi of Japan in the final race.
She continued: “I was too nervous to watch because I know Miho is a really great skater, especially on the 1500m.”
Wüst’s win makes her joint third place when it comes to the most podium finishes for both men and women at the Winter Olympics.
“OLYMPIC CHAMPION,” the star wrote on Instagram on celebration of her latest gold.
After her historic win, the athlete tore off her hood and threw her arms up in the air in a moment of bliss.
Takagi claimed the silver medal with a time of 1:53.72 and Antoinette de Jong of the Netherlands claimed bronze with 1:54.82.
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