Out bisexual speed skater Ireen Wüst of the Netherlands is now the first athlete in Olympic history to win individual gold medals in five Olympic Games.
Wüst won gold in the women’s 1,500 meter long-track event Monday night, setting an Olympic record with a time of one minute, 53.28 seconds. Japan’s Miho Takagi took silver while Wüst’s teammate Antoinette de Jong won bronze.
“It’s really hard to describe,” Wüst said following her victory, Yahoo news reports. “A lot of emotions, especially the good ones. I don’t realize it yet. It’s insane, actually.”
Wüst, who made her Olympic debut in Torino back in 2006, has since won 12 Olympic medals, six of them gold. She is currently in third place for the total number of Winter Olympic medals won by any athlete.
And while a handful of athletes have won gold medals in four Olympic Games, including U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, with wins in five Games Wüst is now in an elite category all by herself.
“Of course it means a lot, but I don’t realize it yet,” Wüst said, ESPN reports. “Ask me this question again in 10 days. I’m an emotional mess in my head.”
Wüst is one of at least 35 out athletes who are competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, and is the first one to have medaled in her event. Out American speed skater Brittany Bowe, also competing in the women’s 1,500 meter, finished 10th overall.
Wüst has a chance to add to her medal count. She will be skating in two more events in what are likely to be her last Olympic Games.
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