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SPORTS Tuesday 13 February 2018

Bitter loss led to a 2-day wait

for Olympic gold for Wust

By RAF CASERT the last four Olympics, go- eongchang Games.
GANGNEUNG, South Korea ing back to the 2006 Turin Instead of centering on her
(AP) — Very few can rise Olympics. race alone, Takagi said she
to the occasion quite like "On Feb. 12, exactly 12 was too concerned about
Ireen Wust. years ago, was the day I Bergsma.
The Dutchwoman set the won my first gold medal “I know the Olympics is dif-
record for most Olympic in Turin," she said. "I had ferent,” Takagi said, giving Ireen Wust of Netherlands competes during the women's 1,500
medals in speedskating by a dream to win four gold a nod to Wust. “Winning at meters speedskating race at the Gangneung Oval at the 2018
winning the 1,500 meters medals, in each Olym- the Olympic Games is her Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 12,
2018.
on Monday, spurred on by pics. Now I achieved that great talent.”q Associated Press
a bitter loss on the opening dream."
day of competition. The hardnosed veteran
"Only gold is the one that even broke into tears,
counts for me," Wust said, knowing her loss on Satur-
reflecting on the medal day was little more than a
that eluded her by only hiccup in her golden ca-
0.08 seconds in the 3,000 reer.
on Saturday. Wust was the first of the
Two days after that disap- favorites to race Monday
pointing silver medal, Wust and she finished in 1 min-
stormed back with a stirring ute, 54.35 seconds. Takagi
last lap to win the 1,500 and was in the final pairing and
turn the Oval into another finished 0.20 seconds be-
Dutch party scene. hind.
Wust won her fifth Olym- When she saw her time held
pic gold medal, and her up after Takagi crossed the
10th medal overall, beat- line, Wust leaped into the
ing the record set by Clau- air with both arms raised
dia Pechstein. She finished and jumped into the arms
ahead of Miho Takagi of of a coach.
Japan on Monday, while She then ran around the
Marrit Leenstra made sure infield, crying and blow-
two more speedskating ing kisses to the crowd. She
medals went to the Neth- raced over to the orange-
erlands. clad Dutch crowd after the
After three events, the ceremony and tossed her
Dutch have won six of the mascot into the stands.
nine medals. It was nearly Wust is coming off a lack-
seven but Takagi's silver luster year on the ice. Her
broke up another Dutch early form disappointed
sweep and left Lotte van her and an imminent biog-
Beek in fourth. raphy was kept from the
"I am not able to count bookshelves until after the
right now but I think it will Olympics amid reports it
be like Sochi," Wust said of ruffled her nerves.
the games four years ago Still, when she sniffed an-
when the Dutch won 23 of other Olympics coming,
36 medals. she was ready to embrace
Yet again, orange was the pressure.
the color of the Oval while “It is not that I am afraid of
American teammates Brit- it, I just love it,” she said.
tany Bowe and Heather That is perhaps the differ-
Bergsma slumped to fifth ence between Wust and
and eighth, respectively. Takagi, who had been
Wust, still rolling on at 31, unbeaten over the dis-
now has gold medals from tance coming into the Py-