Femke Kok sets Games record and 1st Dutch skater to win women's Olympic 500 metres

Dutch speed skater Femke Kok added a gold medal and the Olympic record in the 500 metres to her world mark, beating defending champion Erin Jackson head-to-head in the final heat Sunday at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games and relegating 1,000 winner to Jutta Leerdam to the silver.

Kok powered through the final turn and easily pulled away from Jackson, finishing in 36.49 seconds, a whopping 0.66 seconds ahead of teammate Leerdam, who defeated her in the 1,000 on Monday. Kok broke the 36.94 Olympic mark by Nao Kodaira of Japan that had stood since 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea.

"Femke Kok and Jutta Leerdam, the biggest stars in sprint speed skating right now on the women's side, and they keep getting better," said CBC Sports analyst Anastasia Bucsis.

Miho Takagi of Japan was third in 37.27, picking up her second bronze of these Games and ninth career Olympic medal. Her totals: two gold, four silver and three bronze.

Béatrice Lamarche of Quebec was top Canadian in seventh (37.53) after placing 22nd four years ago in Beijing. Calgary's Brooklyn McDougall followed in 19th (38.36) and Carolina Hiller-Donnelly of Prince George, B.C., in 21st (38.38) at her first Olympics.

Defending champion Erin Jackson, who in 2022 was the first Black American woman to collect an individual gold medal at the Winter Games in any sport, was fifth of 29 finishers on Sunday in 37.32.

Kok, 25, has not lost a 500m race in two years. On Nov. 16, she opened the World Cup season in Salt Lake City with a 36.09 clocking, shaving 27-100ths off the previous world record.

Dutch speed skater Kok claims a 2nd medal of the games, this time gold

When Kok crossed the line, she threw her arms overhead to the delight of the many, many Dutch spectators, then