Culture

Winter Olympics 2018: Bisexual speed skater Ireen Wüst misses out on a medal in dramatic fashion

Feb 14 2018
Written by Josh Jackman

Netherlands' Ireen Wust reacts after the women's 1,000m speed skating event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Oval in Gangneung on February 14, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Mladen ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

(Getty)

Bisexual speed skater Ireen Wüst has missed out on a medal despite leading the table for much of the race.

Earlier this week, Wüst became the most successful speed skater in Olympic history by winning gold in the Women’s 1500m race.

Netherlands' gold medallist Ireen Wust poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the speed skating women's 1500m at the Pyeongchang Medals Plaza during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang on February 13, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images)

(Getty)

The Dutch athlete teared up after that race, as she realised that she had earned a record-breaking tenth Olympic medal.

The 31-year-old finished ahead of Japan’s Miho Takagi and another Dutch skater, Marrit Leenstra, in that event.

GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 12: Ireen Wust of The Netherlands celebrates winning the gold medal during the Ladies 1,500m Long Track Speed Skating final on day three of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Oval on February 12, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

(Getty)

But today, she was beaten out by Takagi, fellow Dutch skater Jorien ter Mors and several others in the Women’s 1000m – the same event she won a silver at the last Winter Games.

Wüst – one of 13 openly LGBT athletes at the Games – quickly fell down the standings despite leading the field until three-quarters of the way through the event.

Ireen with her partner (Instagram/ireenw)

The skater, who is also a six-time world champion, started going out with fellow skater Letitia de Jong last year.

The youngest ever Dutch Olympic champion won two golds and three silver medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and another silver earlier in these Games.

On Monday, Eric Radford became the first ever openly gay man to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.

(Twitter/rad85e)

The Canadian athlete won gold in the team figure skating event after he and his partner Meagan Duhamel skated magnificently to Adele’s Hometown Glory.

He followed in the footsteps of Australian diver Matthew Mitcham, who got a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 11: Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada compete in the Figure Skating Team Event ? Pairs Free Skating on day two of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 11, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

(Getty)

Elsewhere in the speed skating team event, gay skater Adam Rippon made history for Team USA by taking a bronze medal after performing to Coldplay’s O and Arrival of the Birds by Cinematic Orchestra.

But it was Radford’s team who earned first place, taking the gold alongside teammates Gabrielle Daleman, Patrick Chan, Kaetlyn Osmond, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

(Getty)

The 33-year-old, who also used Hometown Glory to win gold at the 2016 World Championships, posted on Twitter about breaking this huge barrier at the Pyeongchang Games.

He wrote: “This is amazing!