Vancouver 2010: Dutch Lesbian Wins Gold in Speed Skating

by Rhonda J Mangus | February 22, 2010 at 02:06 pm

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Dutch lesbian speed skater, Ireen Wust, won the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics speed skating 1,500 meter race on Sunday. Wust, who hails from the Netherlands, beat out Canadian Kristina Groves, clocking 1:56:89 to Groves 1:57:14.

Wüst, 23, was the unexpected winner, clocking 1:56.89, beating out Canadian Kristina Groves, who crossed the finish line at 1:57.14. Wüst broke down on the podium in an emotional moment as the Dutch national anthem played. Martina Sablikova won the bronze with a time of 1:57.96.

"Pulling all the pieces together, I'm so proud and happy," she said, according to The Washington Post. "I can't describe how happy I am. I don't have the words for it. I think I'm the happiest person on Earth right now.

She won gold in the 3,000-meter speed skating event at the 2006 Olympic games in Torino, Italy, which made her, at 19, the Netherlands' youngest gold medal winner. This year she placed seventh in that event and eighth in the 1,000-meter.

Additional stories by this Author: Vancouver 2010: Closing Ceremony Will Have More French Content

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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 14:26 on February 22nd, 2010

Just for the record, Kristina Groves is an Albertan:), a native of cowtown.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 15:13 on February 22nd, 2010

Great, Karl! Thanks for sharing, and for the read and rec:)!

erik lind (not verified)

at 15:18 on February 22nd, 2010

Bloody irrelevant, Irene's sexual orientation, which I as a Dutchman wasn't aware of. She is a great athlete. Apparently sour grapes! Try to enjoy your Olympics!

Rhonda J Mangus

at 15:34 on February 22nd, 2010

erik lind, thank you for reading and commenting. Rest assured, there are no 'sour grapes' here. The GLBTQ community needs to be recognized in every aspect of life and for many reasons; Sports is just one of them!

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 17:03 on February 22nd, 2010

Wow, sorry I missed this one, Rhonda! Yes, recognition needs to be there, to from a bulwark against too many years of obscurity. Thanks for posting !! : )

Rhonda J Mangus

at 17:06 on February 22nd, 2010

That's right, Susan! I am surprised that anyone would take offense to the recognition given. It's extremely important, and for the reason you state.

You are very welcome! Thank you for reading, commenting, and for the rec!:)

anarkissed

at 17:43 on February 22nd, 2010

I don't think it's right to place her sexuality here, though, unless she herself has brought it up. The information here is too sketchy to know whether it's a matter she wishes publicized alongside her achievements. Still, it seems awfully intrusive to discuss an athlete's sexual proclivities alongside her achievements. As to the morals of it, again, it's none of our business! That's been the problem all along. Religions and governments sticking their noses into bedrooms and dictating the private behaviour therein. If the participants are all of one species and mature adults, it's nobody else's business. Unless they're looking to join, anyway.

If Ms. Wust wishes to fly her rainbow flag and promote her sexuality as a political effort to fight discrimination, I say "Go Girrrl!" However, sticking it right in a headline like this without evidence of her desire to do so, seems rude. It's really not germane to the subject.

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 18:06 on February 22nd, 2010

In a better world, arakissed, your comments make perfect logical sense. But in a world with a history such as ours, it becomes important, because it was made important in a negative sense. Ergo, one must now counteract such negativity with positive proclamations. Then, in a while, it will become secondary, as it ought to have been always, as you say......just my opinion, anyway ; )

Rhonda J Mangus

at 03:03 on February 23rd, 2010

Thanks everyone! I appreciate your opinions, as always. However, I am not the only author to use Ms. Wust's, or any other athlete, service member, politician, etc., sexual orientation in a headline -- it is the case, that it has become very necessary to do so, unfortunately.

Unless I learn, or hear of any objection, from anyone I am writing about, it will be the case, that I will continue, when warranted, to reference GLBTQ sexual orientation in a headline.

No propaganda here:)!

Rhonda J Mangus

at 03:14 on February 23rd, 2010

BTW, for those of you who don't know, for the first time in Olympic History:

The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are coming to Whistler and for the first time in Olympic history there will be a venue available to our Gay & Lesbian athletes, coaches, family, friends and allies. A venue we call - PRIDE House.

PRIDE House is located in the centre of Whistler Village at the award winning boutique hotel of Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre.

PRIDE House will be a hip lounge with a cocktail bar with TV monitors to watch the Olympics, hang out, trade pins, a media area to do interviews, and a venue to just have fun. PRIDE House will be designed with the core values of celebrating authenticity, diversity and inclusiveness.

PRIDE House will be open from February 8th through to March 21st. The hours of operation is scheduled from 10AM to 10PM daily. (Subject to Change)

The Mission of Pride House

The Mission of PRIDE House is to provide an open and welcoming venue for the LGBT community and their allies to celebrate together diversity and inclusiveness through sport. To educate and make aware that LGBT people are still discriminated against and in some cases persecuted for being or assumed to be a homosexual. It is still illegal to be gay in over seventy countries around the world and in seven countries the punishment for being gay is death.