#SpeedSkating
“It was the most awesome experience of my skating career,” Ireen Wüst (NED) said. At age 35, having collected 13 Olympic medals (six gold, five silver, two bronze) and multiple European and World titles, the Dutch speed skating queen of a generation waved the Thialf home crowd farewell at the ISU World Cup Final in Heerenveen on Saturday. Wüst finished fourth in her last race as a professional speed skater, leaving the 1500m World Cup gold to Miho Takagi (JPN). Erin Jackson took her fifth 500m World Cup win of the season, retaining her lead in the ranking with only Sunday’s race to go in the shortest distance.
Standing ovation
After having no spectators in the Heerenveen stands since Covid-19 hit in early 2020, the speed skating community couldn’t be happier to have a full house in Thialf again.
Joosep Martinson © International Skating Union
It was the perfect environment for Wüst’s swan song. She said: “After two years in a packed Thialf, with the home crowd, all my family and friends, my big supporters they all were there for me cheering.
“Even before I skated, I already got the standing ovation. Everybody was cheering for me, so that got me really emotional.”
Wüst faced Miho Takagi in the final pairing of the 1500m.
Takagi said: “I was so happy looking forward to skate here with such a huge audience and with Wüst. I feel so special to have shared much of my skating career with Ireen.”
Joosep Martinson © International Skating Union
As much as Takagi appreciated and respected her opponent, on the ice she was merciless. With 24.25s in the first 300m, she had the fastest opener, leaving Wüst 0.91s adrift already. In the following 800m, Takagi increased the gap and she hung in for the final lap to finish in 1 minute and 53.32 seconds, only 0.22s short of Wüst’s 2020 track record. Wüst herself stopped the clock at 1:54.77 to come fourth. Antoinette de Jong (NED) took silver in 1:54.33, and Ragne Wiklund (NOR) bronze in 1:54.75.
“It was not my best 1500m, but I enjoyed every second of it,” Wüst said. “I enjoyed Beijing, but this (the audience cheering for the skaters) is what you miss, we missed it for two years. The sound, it was incredible.”
Jewel in the crown
Wüst’s gold medal in the 1500m at the Beijing Olympics was the jewel in the crown of an Olympic journey which began at the 2006 Games in Torino. The Champion rated her latest Olympic title as “just one of my six gold medals, one of my children.”
Looking back on her 16-year-long professional speed skating career, she pointed out one title which had meant a little more than all the others.
“Winning the 1500m in Inzell (GER) in 2019 after Paulien died, I think that was my ultimate high (her close friend and former World Allround Champion Paulien van Deutekom died of cancer in January 2019), and of course after that all the Olympic gold medals and the World Championships Allround.”
After the race Wüst, together with Sven Kramer (NED) who also waved farewell, was honored by the Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, and IOC president Thomas Bach.
What the future holds in store for Wüst, only time will tell. “First holiday, and then we'll see after.”
World Cup for Takagi, Bowe second
Having won the final race of the World Cup season, Miho Takagi, who took Olympic silver behind Wüst in Beijing, also won the 1500m World Cup. Brittany Bowe (USA) and Ayano Sato (JPN) came in second and third in the 1500m World Cup ranking.
Bowe joined the farewell party for Wüst with a big smile. “I can't think of a better way to end the season. Even just getting on (the ice) for warm-up, I had to hold back tears with the (crowd in the) corners there cheering,” she said.
“It's just such an honor to race in this building and to skate this 1500m, celebrating Ireen. I can't put into words how much it has meant to race my entire career against her. So for this to be the end of the road here, is just the beginning of her legacy. Words can’t express how honored I am to be her friend and a rival of hers.”
Bowe did not feel like quitting herself just yet. The 34-year-old said: “I’m a racer. My heart's still in it, my head's still in it. I will have to take some time just to see where the mind and body are. I can't say that I'm done standing right here today, but we'll see.”
Takagi had enjoyed the packed Thialf rink too. The Japanese Olympic 1000m Champion did not know if she would be back racing in Heerenveen next season, however: “I haven’t decided yet. I have to take rest and I need to think about my future. I think maybe a change of environment would be good, but I have to think about it.”
Jackson in pole position to win 500m World Cup
Joosep Martinson © International Skating Union
Before the farewell race of Wüst, Erin Jackson (USA) won her fifth 500m World Cup race this season, and the first as reigning Olympic Champion. With 37.32 seconds, she kept Dutch Femke Kok (NED) 0.32s adrift. Nao Kodaira (JPN) came third in 37.72s.
Jackson definitely enjoyed skating in front of a huge crowd. “This is only my second time skating in Thialf, even during the warm up the crowd was just amazing. It's really cool.”
Being 48 points ahead of Kodaira in the ranking, Jackson is in pole position to secure the 500m World Cup on Sunday. “I think it would be awesome to finish out the World Cup season, winning the rankings,” she said. “That's my goal here.”
ISU World Cup Speed Skating Standings 500m Women
ISU World Cup Speed Skating Standings 1500m Women
For full entry lists and further information regarding the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series please visit: isu.org/speed-skating.
