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Ireen Wüst facts for kids

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Ireen Wüst
Ireen Wüst (NED) 2013.jpg
Wüst in 2013
Personal information
Nationality Dutch
Born (1986-04-01) 1 April 1986 (age 38)
Goirle, Netherlands
Height 1.68 m
Weight 63 kg
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
Olympic Games
Gold 2006 Turin 3000 m
Gold 2010 Vancouver 1500 m
Gold 2014 Sochi 3000 m
Gold 2014 Sochi Team pursuit
Gold 2018 Pyeongchang 1500 m
Gold 2022 Beijing 1500 m
Silver 2014 Sochi 1000 m
Silver 2014 Sochi 1500 m
Silver 2014 Sochi 5000m
Silver 2018 Pyeongchang 3000m
Silver 2018 Pyeongchang Team pursuit
Bronze 2006 Turin 1500m
Bronze 2022 Beijing Team pursuit
World Allround Championships
Gold 2007 Heerenveen Allround
Gold 2011 Calgary Allround
Gold 2012 Moscow Allround
Gold 2013 Hamar Allround
Gold 2014 Heerenveen Allround
Gold 2017 Hamar Allround
Gold 2020 Hamar Allround
Silver 2008 Berlin Allround
Silver 2015 Calgary Allround
Silver 2016 Berlin Allround
Silver 2018 Amsterdam Allround
Bronze 2009 Hamar Allround
Bronze 2010 Heerenveen Allround
World Sprint Championships
Silver 2007 Hamar Sprint
World Single Distance Championships
Gold 2007 Salt Lake City 1000 m
Gold 2007 Salt Lake City 1500 m
Gold 2008 Nagano Team pursuit
Gold 2011 Inzell 1500m
Gold 2011 Inzell 3000m
Gold 2012 Heerenveen Team pursuit
Gold 2013 Sochi 1500m
Gold 2013 Sochi 3000m
Gold 2013 Sochi Team pursuit
Gold 2016 Kolomna Team pursuit
Gold 2017 Gangneung 3000m
Gold 2017 Gangneung Team pursuit
Gold 2019 Inzell 1500 m
Gold 2020 Salt Lake City 1500 m
Gold 2021 Heerenveen Team pursuit
Silver 2007 Salt Lake City Team pursuit
Silver 2009 Vancouver 1500m
Silver 2009 Vancouver Team pursuit
Silver 2011 Inzell 1000m
Silver 2011 Inzell Team pursuit
Silver 2012 Heerenveen 1500m
Silver 2013 Sochi 1000m
Silver 2013 Sochi 5000m
Silver 2015 Heerenveen 1500m
Silver 2015 Heerenveen 3000m
Silver 2015 Heerenveen Team pursuit
Silver 2016 Kolomna 3000m
Silver 2017 Gangneung 1500m
Silver 2019 Inzell Team pursuit
Silver 2020 Salt Lake City Team pursuit
Bronze 2012 Heerenveen 3000m
European Allround Championships
Gold 2008 Kolomna Allround
Gold 2013 Heerenveen Allround
Gold 2014 Hamar Allround
Gold 2015 Chelyabinsk Allround
Gold 2017 Heerenveen Allround
Silver 2007 Collalbo Allround
Silver 2010 Hamar Allround
Silver 2011 Collalbo Allround
Silver 2016 Minsk Allround
Bronze 2006 Hamar Allround
Bronze 2012 Budapest Allround
European Single Distance Championships
Gold 2020 Heerenveen 1500 m
Gold 2020 Heerenveen Team pursuit
Gold 2022 Heerenveen Team pursuit
Silver 2020 Heerenveen Team sprint
Silver 2022 Heerenveen 1500 m

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.

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. 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 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.

After the end of the season, Wüst was elected as the best Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 2006. 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. 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.

2014 Olympic Games in Sochi

Women's 1500m, 2014 Winter Olympics, Podium
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.

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. 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. 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).

Personal records

Personal records
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 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
Olympic
Games
World
Cup
GWC
World
Championships
Junior
Allround
European
Championships
Single
Distances

2003–04

9th 500m
9th 1500m
ROSEVILLE

11th 500m
2 1500m
2 1000m
2 3000m
2 overall
1 Team pursuit

2004–05

5th 1000m
4th 1500m

2 500m
5th 3000m
1 1500m
5th 5000m
3 overall
HEERENVEEN

7th 500m
2 3000m
3 1500m
6th 5000m
4th overall
MOSCOW

5th 500m
4th 3000m
2 1500m
6th 5000m
5th overall

28th 1500m
SEINÄJOKI

3 500m
1 1500m
1 1000m
2 3000m
1 overall
1 Team pursuit

2005–06

1 1000m
1 1500m
1 3000m
HAMAR

5th 500m
4th 3000m
1 1500m
4th 5000m
3 overall
CALGARY

5th 500m
7th 3000m
2 1500m
7th 5000m
4th overall
TURIN

4th 1000m
3 1500m
1 3000m
6th Team pursuit

7th 1000m
3 1500m
25th 3/5 km
5th team pursuit

2006–07

4th 500m
1 1000m
1 1500m
2 3000m

1 500m
2 3000m
1 1500m
3 5000m
1 overall
COLLALBO

1 500m
3 3000m
1 1500m
6th 5000m
2 overall
HEERENVEEN

2 500m
1 3000m
1 1500m
3 5000m
1 overall
HAMAR

14th 500m
2 1000m
10th 500m
2 1000m
2 overall
SALT LAKE CITY

1 1000m
1 1500m
5th 3000m
2 Team pursuit

29th 500m
6th 1000m
1 1500m
6th 3/5 km
1 Team pursuit

2007–08

8th 500m
3 1000m
2 1500m
4th 3000m

5th 500m
1 1000m
4th 500m
1 1000m
2 overall

1 500m
2 3000m
4th 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
KOLOMNA

4th 500m
2 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
BERLIN

2 500m
4th 3000m
1 1500m
4th 5000m
2 overall
HEERENVEEN

19th 500m
2 1000m
19th 500m
1 1000m
6th overall
NAGANO

9th 1000m
7th 1500m
1 Team pursuit

42nd 500m
2 1000m
3 1500m
7th 3/5 km

2008–09

10th 500m
6th 1000m
2 1500m
DQ 3000m

13th 500m
7th 1000m
DNS 500m
DNQ 1000m
NC overall

1 500m
3 3000m
1 1500m
1 5000m
1 overall
HEERENVEEN

6th 500m
7th 3000m
4th 1500m
5th 5000m
6th overall
HAMAR

3 500m
7th 3000m
3 1500m
8th 5000m
3 overall
VANCOUVER

2 1500m
2 Team pursuit

36th 1000m
6th 1500m
3 Team pursuit

2009–10

6th 500m
5th 1000m
2 1500m
1 3000m
HAMAR

4th 500m
2 3000m
1 1500m
5th 5000m
2 overall
HEERENVEEN

6th 500m
2 3000m
2 1500m
7th 5000m
3 overall
VANCOUVER

8th 1000m
1 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
1 1500m
1 3000m

5th 500m
1 1000m
8th 500m
11000m
4th overall
COLLALBO

6th 500m
2 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
2 overall
CALGARY

3 500m
2 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
HEERENVEEN

13th 500m
2 1000m
16th 500m
2 1000m
7th overall
INZELL

2 1000m
1 1500m
1 3000m
2 Team pursuit

5th 1000m
3 1500m
9th 3/5 km
1 Team pursuit

2011–12

3 1000m
1 1500m
3 3000m

8th 500m
1 1000m
9th 500m
2 1000m
5th overall
BUDAPEST

2 500m
5th 3000m
6th 1500m
3 5000m
3 overall
MOSCOW

3 500m
2 3000m
2 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
HEERENVEEN

5th 1000m
2 1500m
3 3000m
1 Team pursuit

5th 1000m
2 1500m
8th 3/5 km
6th Team pursuit
3 Grand World Cup

2012–13

6th 1000m
1 1500m
2 3000m

10th 500m
1 1000m
11th 500m
2 1000m
5th overall

1 500m
3 3000m
2 1500m
3 5000m
2 overall
HEERENVEEN

4th 500m
1 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
HAMAR

2 500m
1 3000m
1 1500m
1 5000m
1 overall
SOCHI

2 1000m
1 1500m
1 3000m
2 5000m
1 Team pursuit

12th 1000m
3 1500m
6th 3/5 km
1 Team pursuit
1 Grand World Cup

2013–14

2 1000m
3 1500m
1 3000m

8th 500m
1 1000m
7th 500m
DQ 1000m
NC overall
HAMAR

1 500m
1 3000m
1 1500m
3 5000m
1 overall
HEERENVEEN

1 500m
1 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
SOCHI

2 1000m
2 1500m
1 3000m
2 5000m
1 Team pursuit

6th 1000m
1 1500m
6th 3/5 km
1 Team pursuit
2 Grand World Cup

2014–15

2 1000m
1 1500m
1 3000m

13th 500m
2 1000m
DNS 500m
DNS 1000m
NC overall

1 500m
1 3000m
1 1500m
3 5000m
1 overall
CHELYABINSK

1 500m
2 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
CALGARY

3 500m
2 3000m
3 1500m
3 5000m
2 overall
HEERENVEEN

4th 1000m
2 1500m
2 3000m
2 Team pursuit

6th 1000m
4th 1500m
3 3/5 km
1 Team pursuit
4th Grand World Cup

2015–16

3 1000m
2 1500m
1 3000m

11th 500m
3 1000m
12th 500m
2 1000m
6th overall
MINSK

3 500m
3 3000m
2 1500m
4th 5000m
2 overall
BERLIN

4th 500m
2 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
2 overall
KOLOMNA

6th 1000m
4th 1500m
2 3000m
1 Team pursuit

20th 1500m
17th 3/5 km
2 Team pursuit

2016–17

10th 500m
3 1000m
1 1500m
1 3000m

5th 500m
1 1000m
5th 500m
1 1000m
1 overall
HEERENVEEN

1 500m
1 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
HAMAR

2 500m
2 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
GANGNEUNG

2 1500m
1 3000m
1 Team pursuit

11th 1000m
4th 1500m
9th 3/5 km
2 Team pursuit

2017–18

3 1000m
2 1500m
2 3000m
AMSTERDAM

9th 500m
1 3000m
2 1500m
1 5000m
2 overall
GANGNEUNG

9th 1000m
1 1500m
2 3000m
2 Team pursuit

16th 1000m
7th 1500m
12th 3/5 km
3 Team pursuit

2018–19

1 1000m
1 1500m
2 3000m
COLLALBO

4th 500m
7th 3000m
5th 1500m
7th 5000m
4th overall
CALGARY

2 500m
6th 3000m
2 1500m
7th 5000m
5th overall
INZELL

1 1500m
5th 3000m
2 Team pursuit

53rd 500m
8th 1000m
3 1500m
24th 3/5 km
4th Team pursuit
2 Team sprint

2019–20

3 1000m
2 1500m
5th 3000m
HAMAR

4th 500m
3 3000m
1 1500m
2 5000m
1 overall
SALT LAKE CITY

4th 1000m
1 1500m
2 Team pursuit

14th 1000m
1 1500m
HEERENVEEN

5th 1000m
1 1500m
1 Team pursuit
2 Team sprint

2020–21

3 1000m
4th 1500m
5th 3000m

12th 500m
4th 1000m
10th 500m
3 1000m
6th overall
HEERENVEEN

5th 1500m
1 Team pursuit

5th 1000m
3 1500m
2 Team pursuit

2021–22

3 1000m
2 1500m
5th 3000m

7th 500m
1 1000m
8th 500m
DQ 1000m
NC overall
BEIJING

6th 1000m
1 1500m
3 Team pursuit

19th 1000m
6th 1500m
3 Team Pursuit
HEERENVEEN

2 1500 m
1 Team pursuit

Source:

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 1
2006–2007 3 3 2 1
2007–2008 7th 8th 12th 6th 4th 2 3 2 2 4th
2008–2009 16th 13th
2009–2010 1st(b) 5th 16th 16th
2010–2011 3 5th 2 1
2011–2012 11th 5th 7th 3 5th 2
2012–2013 5th 2 2
2013–2014 7th 3 1
2014–2015 2 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 1
2006–2007 3 2 1 2 1
2007–2008 5th 13th 5th 1 2
2008–2009 8th 7th 3 4th 11th
2009–2010 11th 1 2 12th 9th
2010–2011 2 3 2 2 1
2011–2012 1 3 2 1 1
2012–2013 –* 1 1 1
2013–2014 2 1 1 1 1
2014–2015 1 2 1 4th
2015–2016 4th
2016–2017 3 2 1
2017–2018 4th 4th 1
2018–2019 4th 1 2 1 4th
2019–2020 1 1 2 3 1
2020–2021 2 3
2021–2022 4th 2 4th -
Season 3000/5000 meter
2004–2005
2005–2006 –* 1st(b)
2006–2007 2 3 2 –*
2007–2008 9th 7th –* 3 –* 2
2008–2009
2009–2010 11th 6th –* 6th 4th
2010–2011 4th 8th –* 2 –*
2011–2012 2 4th –* 3 –*
2012–2013 8th 1 –* 1
2013–2014 3 –* 3 1
2014–2015 1 –* 1 2 3
2015–2016 –* 2
2016–2017 7th 5th –* 1
2017–2018 6th 3
2018–2019 6th 6th –*
2019–2020
2020–2021
2021–2022
Season Team pursuit
2004–2005
2005–2006 1
2006–2007 1 3
2007–2008
2008–2009 1 1
2009–2010 2 4th
2010–2011 2 1
2011–2012 2 DNF
2012–2013 1 1
2013–2014 1 1 1
2014–2015 1 1
2015–2016
2016–2017 1 2
2017–2018 2
2018–2019 2 4th
2019–2020 2 2
2020–2021 2 2
2021–2022 3 2 -

Source:

– = 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
1
Silver
2
Bronze
3
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. 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.

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

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.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ireen Wüst para niños

  • List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
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