Rijpma-de Jong wins Olympic gold in 1500 meters; Seventh gold for the Netherlands

Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong won gold in the 1500 meters at the Milan Winter Olympics on Friday. The 30-year-old speed skater finished in 1:54.09 at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium ahead of Ragne Wiklund of Norway. Valérie Maltais of Canada took the bronze.

The Netherlands now has seven gold medals at these Games. Earlier in long-track speed skating, Femke Kok claimed the 500-meter title, while Jutta Leerdam secured gold in the 1000 meters.

Racing the 1500 meters internationally for the first time at the senior level, Kok skated alone in the opening pair. After a strong start and first lap, her pace slowed, and she finished fifth with a time of 1:54.79.

Marijke Groenewoud fell behind Kok’s pace early, losing ground in the opening and first lap. A faster final lap brought her close to her fellow Dutch skater, finishing in 1:55.16, which earned her the tenth-best time.

Following Maltais and Wiklund’s times, Rijpma-de Jong faced Brittany Bowe. Although the American got off to a faster start, Rijpma-de Jong’s superior final lap kept her ahead, dipping below Wiklund’s 1:54.15. Japan’s top favorite Miho Takagi fell short in the last pair, failing to surpass Maltais’s 1:54.40 for bronze.

In 2023, Rijpma-de Jong claimed the world championship in the 1500 meters, two years after taking the 3000-meter title. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she won bronze, finishing behind Ireen Wüst and Miho Takagi.

Last season, Joy Beune appeared to surpass Rijpma-de Jong in the 1500 meters, defeating her for the world title in Hamar in 2025. Yet at the Olympic qualification tournament in Heerenveen in December, Rijpma-de Jong proved fastest, finishing ahead of Kok and Groenewoud.