Medals update: Irene Schouten posts Olympic record to claim second Beijing 2022 title winning women’s 5000m speed skating gold

Dutch sensation Irene Schouten smashed the 20-year-old Olympic record to win the women’s 5000m gold medal at the National Speed Skating Oval on Thursday (10 February). 

The 29-year-old Schouten posted a blistering time of 6:43.51, chopping more than three seconds off the record Germany’s Claudia Pechstein set at Salt Lake City 2002. 

Her time was nearly five seconds faster than the second-placed Isabelle Weidemann (6:48.18) of Canada. Martina Sablikova rounded out the podium winning her seventh Olympic medal in a time of 6:50.09. 

Schouten is still on target in her audacious bid for four Olympic speed skating gold medals at Beijing 2022. She is now just two gold medals away from becoming only the second woman to earn four gold medals at a single Olympic Winter Games after winning the 3000m gold – also in an Olympic record time – over the weekend. 

Schouten also became only the second athlete behind Sablikova to win the event while holding the world title. 

Speed skating women's 5000m final results:

1- Irene Schouten (NED): 6:43.51 OR

2- Isabelle Weidemann (CAN): 6:48.18

3- Martina Sablikova (CZE) 6:50.09