Irene Karlijn "Ireen"Wüst (Dutch pronunciation:[iˈreːɱˈʋyst]; born 1 April 1986) is a Dutch former long trackspeed skater. Wüst became the most successfulspeed skating Olympian ever by achieving at least one gold medal in each of five consecutiveWinter Olympic appearances. Wüst is the second athlete (after Britain'sSteve Redgrave) to win a gold medal at five consecutive Olympics, Summer or Winter, and the first to do so in individual events.[1][2]
Wüst is both the youngestDutch 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 the2006 Winter Olympic Games3000 metre event; four years later at the2010 Winter Olympic Games she won the1500 metre event; at the2014 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 theNetherlands at the Olympics. She is also a seven-timeworld allround champion, a fifteen-timeworld single distance champion, and a five-timeEuropean allround champion. In 2014, she was elected by Reuters as the Sportswoman of the World.
Wüst debuted at the2004 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 inRoseville, Minnesota, USA. The following season she qualified for the2004–05 World Cup during the2005 KNSB Dutch Single Distance Championships with fifth place in the 1000m and fourth place in the 1500m. With a third place at the 2005KNSB Dutch Allround Championships, she qualified for her first international senior tournament, the2005 European Championships in Heerenveen. There she came fourth and secured a spot in the Dutch team for the2005 World Allround Championships in Moscow, Russia, where she finished in fifth place. She then became World Junior Champion inSeinäjoki, Finland.
Before the start of the season, Wüst signed a deal withTVM and started training under the guidance ofGerard Kemkers. At the2006 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 the2006 Winter Olympics inTurin. Before the Olympics, she started in the2006 European Championships inHamar, where she won the bronze medal behindClaudia Pechstein of Germany and teammateRenate Groenewold.
At the2006 Olympics, her first distance was the3000 metres[4] where Wüst beat Groenewold andCindy Klassen of Canada for the gold medal and became The Netherlands' youngest ever Winter Olympics champion. She missed out on the podium in the1000 metres, finishing fourth. At her last event, the1500 metres, she won a bronze medal behind Cindy Klassen andKristina Groves of Canada. At her last event of the season, the2006 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 bestDutch Sportswoman of the Year 2006.[6] She was also elected female skater of the year.
Wüst started the season with two titles and one second place at the2007 Dutch Distance Championships. She also won the2007 Dutch Allround Championships. At the2007 European Championships, Wüst led the championships after 3 of 4 distances but was beaten byMartina Sáblíková. The following weekend she competed in the2007 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships inHamar, again winning the silver medal. She became World Allround Champion during the2007 World Allround Championships for the home crowd inHeerenveen. She won the2006–07 World Cup in the 1500 m after winning two of the six races, as well as the 1000 m during the World Cup Final inCalgary. At the2007 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 andPaulien van Deutekom, she won silver in the team pursuit behind Canada.
After a difficult start to the season, Wüst won the European allround title in January 2008.[7] Her main competitor this year wasPaulien van Deutekom. Wüst finished second behind van Deutekom during the World Allround Championships in Berlin. InNagano during the2008 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.
At the2010 Winter Olympics she won a gold medal in the1500 metres.[8]
At the2014 Winter Olympics, she won gold medals in the3000 metres and in theteam pursuit, and silver medals in the1000m,1500m and5000m.[9][10]
At the2018 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 herfourth 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 (afterLidiya Skoblikova in 1960 and 1964), and thefirst 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 wineleven Olympic medals, and the first female Winter Olympian to winnine individual medals.
At the2022 Winter Olympics, she won a gold medal in the1500 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[13] | ||||
| 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 theAdelskalender[14] with a score of 156.436 points.
| 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 | 9th500m 9th1500m | ROSEVILLE 11th 500m  1500m 1000m 3000moverall Team pursuit | |||||||||
2004–05 | 5th1000m 4th1500m | 500m 5th 3000m 1500m5th 5000m  overall | HEERENVEEN 7th 500m 3000m 1500m6th 5000m 4thoverall | MOSCOW 5th 500m 4th 3000m 1500m6th 5000m 5thoverall | 28th 1500m | SEINÄJOKI 500m 1500m 1000m 3000moverallTeam pursuit | |||||
2005–06 | 1000m1500m3000m | HAMAR 5th 500m 4th 3000m 1500m4th 5000m overall | CALGARY 5th 500m 7th 3000m 1500m7th 5000m 4thoverall | TURIN 4th1000m 1500m3000m6thTeam pursuit | 7th 1000m 1500m25th 3/5 km 5th team pursuit | ||||||
2006–07 | 4th500m 1000m1500m3000m | 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | COLLALBO 500m 3000m 1500m6th 5000m overall | HEERENVEEN 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | HAMAR 14th 500m 1000m10th 500m 1000moverall | SALT LAKE CITY 1000m1500m5th3000m Team pursuit | 29th 500m 6th 1000m 1500m6th 3/5 km Team pursuit | ||||
2007–08 | 8th500m 1000m1500m4th3000m | 5th 500m 1000m4th 500m 1000moverall | 500m 3000m 4th 1500m 5000moverall | KOLOMNA 4th 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | BERLIN 500m4th 3000m 1500m4th 5000m overall | HEERENVEEN 19th 500m 1000m19th 500m 1000m6thoverall | NAGANO 9th1000m 7th1500m Team pursuit | 42nd 500m 1000m 1500m7th 3/5 km | |||
2008–09 | 10th500m 6th1000m 1500mDQ3000m | 13th 500m 7th 1000m DNS 500m DNQ 1000m NCoverall | 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | HEERENVEEN 6th 500m 7th 3000m 4th 1500m 5th 5000m 6thoverall | HAMAR 500m7th 3000m 1500m8th 5000m overall | VANCOUVER 1500mTeam pursuit | 36th 1000m 6th 1500m Team pursuit | ||||
2009–10 | 6th500m 5th1000m 1500m3000m | HAMAR 4th 500m 3000m 1500m5th 5000m overall | HEERENVEEN 6th 500m 3000m 1500m7th 5000m overall | VANCOUVER 8th1000m 1500m7th3000m 6thTeam pursuit | 53rd 500m 19th 1000m 6th 1500m 9th 3/5 km 5th Team pursuit | ||||||
2010–11 | NC500m 5th1000m 1500m3000m | 5th 500m 1000m8th 500m 1000m4thoverall | COLLALBO 6th 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | CALGARY 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | HEERENVEEN 13th 500m 1000m16th 500m 1000m7thoverall | INZELL 1000m1500m3000mTeam pursuit | 5th 1000m 1500m9th 3/5 km Team pursuit | ||||
2011–12 | 1000m1500m3000m | 8th 500m 1000m9th 500m 1000m5thoverall | BUDAPEST 500m5th 3000m 6th 1500m 5000moverall | MOSCOW 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | HEERENVEEN 5th1000m 1500m3000mTeam pursuit | 5th 1000m 1500m8th 3/5 km 6th Team pursuit Grand World Cup | |||||
2012–13 | 6th1000m 1500m3000m | 10th 500m 1000m11th 500m 1000m5thoverall | 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | HEERENVEEN 4th 500m 3000m 1500m5000moverall | HAMAR 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | SOCHI 1000m1500m3000m5000mTeam pursuit | 12th 1000m 1500m6th 3/5 km Team pursuit Grand World Cup | ||||
2013–14 | 1000m1500m3000m | 8th 500m 1000m7th 500m DQ 1000m NCoverall | HAMAR 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | HEERENVEEN 500m 3000m 1500m5000moverall | SOCHI 1000m1500m3000m5000mTeam pursuit | 6th 1000m 1500m6th 3/5 km Team pursuit Grand World Cup | |||||
2014–15 | 1000m1500m3000m | 13th 500m 1000mDNS 500m DNS 1000m NCoverall | 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | CHELYABINSK 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | CALGARY 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | HEERENVEEN 4th1000m 1500m3000mTeam pursuit | 6th 1000m 4th 1500m 3/5 km Team pursuit4th Grand World Cup | ||||
2015–16 | 1000m1500m3000m | 11th 500m 1000m12th 500m 1000m6thoverall | MINSK 500m 3000m 1500m4th 5000m overall | BERLIN 4th 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | KOLOMNA 6th1000m 4th1500m 3000mTeam pursuit | 20th 1500m 17th 3/5 km Team pursuit | |||||
2016–17 | 10th500m 1000m1500m3000m | 5th 500m 1000m5th 500m 1000moverall | HEERENVEEN 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | HAMAR 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | 1500m3000mTeam pursuit | 11th 1000m 4th 1500m 9th 3/5 km Team pursuit | |||||
2017–18 | 1000m1500m3000m | AMSTERDAM 9th 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | 9th1000m 1500m3000mTeam pursuit | 16th 1000m 7th 1500m 12th 3/5 km Team pursuit | |||||||
2018–19 | 1000m1500m3000m | COLLALBO 4th 500m 7th 3000m 5th 1500m 7th 5000m 4thoverall | CALGARY 500m6th 3000m 1500m7th 5000m 5thoverall | INZELL 1500m5th3000m Team pursuit | 53rd 500m 8th 1000m 1500m24th 3/5 km 4th Team pursuit Team sprint | ||||||
2019–20 | 1000m1500m 5th3000m | HAMAR 4th 500m 3000m 1500m 5000moverall | SALT LAKE CITY 4th1000m 1500mTeam pursuit | 14th 1000m 1500m | HEERENVEEN 5th1000m 1500mTeam pursuitTeam sprint | ||||||
2020–21 | 1000m 4th1500m 5th3000m | 12th 500m 4th 1000m 10th 500m 1000m6thoverall | HEERENVEEN 5th1500m Team pursuit | 5th 1000m 1500m Team pursuit | |||||||
2021–22 | 1000m1500m 5th3000m | 7th 500m 1000m8th 500m DQ 1000m NCoverall | 6th1000m 1500mTeam pursuit | 19th 1000m 6th 1500m Team Pursuit | HEERENVEEN 1500 mTeam pursuit |
| 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]
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 |
On 1 March 2006, Wüst was awarded asKnight 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 aCommander 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 the2022 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 ofDokkum at the end of the 18th century.[22]
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