Decades-old speed skating record falls in dramatic final

Breaking a 20-year-old Olympic record en route to women's 3,000m gold, Irene Schouten sent a clear message to the world that the Netherlands remains as dominant as ever in speed skating.

In the sport's first event of Beijing 2022, Schouten got the Dutch off to a golden start, setting a scintillating pace to clock an Olympic record of 3 min 56.93 sec at the National Speed Skating Oval.

Schouten's winning time took close to a second off the previous Olympic mark of 3:57.30, set by Germany's Claudia Pechstein at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, US, the longest standing OR in women's speed skating.

"When you say 20 years ago－the record stands a really long time. I'm happy I have it now," Schouten said.

Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida, who was paired with Schouten in the final race of the competition, started strongly before the Dutch speedster justified her favorite tag by storming back to take the victory.

Lollobrigida claimed silver (3:58.06), with Canadian Isabelle Weidemann (3:58.64) bagging a historic bronze－h(huán)er country's 200th Winter Olympic medal.

"I had a lot of pressure, from the Netherlands, from myself. But I made it, so I'm really happy," said Schouten, a five-time title winner at the World Single Distance Championships.

"This has been a dream ever since I was young. That I can call myself an Olympic champion in an individual distance is something no one can take away from me.

"This morning I thought maybe it was better if I didn't do so well at the beginning of this season. But I said to myself, 'Keep pushing. Do your best. We will see.' That helped me."

Italian record holder Lollobrigida, a great-niece of 1950s film star Gina Lollobrigida, said she had hoped to put pressure on Schouten by getting off to a flying start and was pleased to have at least made a race of it.

"I wanted to be in front... to let her be a little bit nervous," she said.

"OK, she got the gold, but (to make it) a little bit hard was much better, you know? I guess we supported each other during the race."

German legend Pechstein finished 20th and last, but by merely starting a race in Beijing she became the oldest female to compete at the Winter Olympics, at 49 years and 348 days. The previous oldest competitor was luger Anne Abernathy of the US Virgin Islands, who was 48 years and 305 days old when she raced at the 2002 Games.

Pechstein, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, is competing in her eighth Winter Olympics since her debut in 1994, tying a record held by Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai, who competed from 1992-2018.

"I am the only woman in the whole world to be at eight Olympic Winter Games," she said. "The result of today was not so important. It was just to race and to be here. I am super proud."