Irene Schouten of the Netherlands won the first gold medal in speed skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the women's 3000m with a time of 3:56.93, an Olympic record.
The 29-year-old edgedFrancesca Lollobrigida from Italy, who earned the silver medal at 3:58.06, in the final pairing of the day. Schouten led Lollobrigida by 0.29 seconds at the start of the final lap.
"It went superb," Schouten said after the win. "Normally, there's always a lap that didn't go too well, but today that wasn't the case."
Isabelle Weidemannof Canada won the bronze at 3:58.64.
Schouten had not won an Olympic gold medal before Saturday. She earned a bronze in the 2018 mass start competition.
"This has been a dream ever since I was young," Schouten said. "That I can call myself an Olympic champion on an individual distance is something no one can take away from me."
The three medalists raced in the final two pairings.
"I amincredibly happy," Lollobrigida said."I tried to keep close to her until the finish line and, until the last lap, it was like that."
A different Dutch skater has now won the gold at three straight Winter Olympic Games in the women's 3000m.
