Ireen Wüst is truly in a class of her own—not just in speedskating, but in Olympic history.
With her win in the 1,500 meters Monday, Wüst became the first athlete to earn individual gold medals in five different Olympics, breaking a tie with Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis and Al Oerter.
“This is just amazing,” Wust told Reuters. “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. 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.”
Sign up for Sports Illustrated's free, daily Olympics newsletter
The victory also made Wüst the most decorated speedskater in Olympic history with her 12th medal. Even more impressive is that at 35 years old, Wüst defended her gold medal from PyeongChang in Olympic record time (1:23.58).
Wüst started her Olympic career in the 2006 Turin Games, where she won gold in the 3,000 meters and bronze in the 1,500 meters. Her most successful Olympics came in '14 in Sochi where Wüst took home five medals, including two golds.
Per the New York Times, Wüst said after the race that she will retire following the Beijing Games.
Sign up for our free daily Olympics newsletter: SI Olympic Daily. You'll unlock access to a daily rundown of the top stories from SI’s reporters on the ground in Beijing.
