Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong has achieved a historic milestone, clinching the gold medal in the women’s 1,500 meters at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. This victory marks her first Olympic gold, adding to her impressive collection of two silver and three bronze medals from previous Games.
Rijpma-de Jong’s Historic Victory
Rijpma-de Jong finished the race with a remarkable time of 1:54.09, solidifying her position at the top of the leaderboard. Close behind her were Ragne Wiklund of Norway and Valerie Maltais of Canada, who took silver and bronze, respectively, finishing with times of 1:54.15 and 1:54.40.
- 1. Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong (NED) – 1:54.09
- 2. Ragne Wiklund (NOR) – +0.06
- 3. Valerie Maltais (CAN) – +0.31
Key Race Highlights
Rijpma-de Jong’s journey to gold included a spectacular opening, despite a false start that required her to restart. She demonstrated extraordinary speed, recording the fastest opening lap of her season.
Miho Takagi, another favorite for the event, started strong but faltered in the final laps, ultimately failing to medal despite high expectations.
Medal Table Context
In this round of women’s speed skating, several competitors had promising starts but were unable to maintain their momentum. Femke Kok of the Netherlands, who previously won medals in the 500 and 1000 meters, expressed her concerns about her performance, stating her race was challenging from the outset.
Conclusion
Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong’s gold medal in the 1,500 meters not only highlights her personal achievements but also reinforces the Netherlands’ dominance in speed skating. The anticipation builds as athletes continue to compete for medals, capturing the world’s attention at this prestigious event.
