Ireen Wüst

Ireen Wüst (born 1 April 1986) is a Dutch long track allround speed skater.
At the age of 19, on 12 February 2006, Wüst won the gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games 3000-meter event. She is the youngest Dutch Olympic champion in Winter Games history. Four years later in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games she won the 1500-meter event. In the 2014 Winter Olympic Games she won 2 gold and 3 silver medals. She is the most successful athlete of the Netherlands at the Winter Olympics. She is also a five-time world allround champion, a nine-time world single distance champion, and a four-time European allround champion. In 2014 she was elected by Reuters as the Sportswoman of the World.

Wüst debuted at the 2004 KNSB Dutch Single Distance Championships in November 2003 with 9th places in 500 m and 1500 m. At the end of the season she won the silver medal in the world junior championships in Roseville, Minnesota, USA. The next season she qualified for the 2004–05 World Cup during the 2005 KNSB Dutch Single Distance Championships with a 5th place in the 1000 m and 4th place in the 1500 m. With a 3rd 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 4th and secured herself a spot in the Dutch team for the 2005 World Allround Championships in Moscow, Russia, where she finished in 5th 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 1000 m, 1500 m and 3000 m, 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 Olympics her first distance was the 3000 m where Wüst beat Groenewold and Cindy Klassen of Canada and became the youngest olympic champion from the Netherlands in the history of the Winter Olympics. She missed out the podium in the 1000 m finishing 4th. At her last event the 1500 m 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 ended 4th 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 next weekend she competed in the 2007 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Hamar, receiving the silver medal again. At the European Championships when she became World Allround Champion during the 2007 World Allround Championships for the homecrowd 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 gold medals in the 1000 m, breaking the national record, and 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 title all round in January 2008. Her main competitor this year was Paulien van Deutekom. Wüst ended 2nd 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 1500 m in Hamar.

2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver

At the Olympics she won a gold medal at the 1500 m.

2014 Olympic Games in Sochi

At the Olympics she won a gold medal at the 3000 metres and at the team pursuit, and silver medals at the 1000, 1500 and 5000 metres.

Wüst is openly bisexual.