Golden girl Jorien ter Mors adds to Dutch Olympic medal tally

Jorien ter Mors won the fifth Dutch gold medal of the winter Olympics so far on Wednesday, setting a new Olympic record in the 1,000 metres speed skating event.

Ter Mors, who won gold in the 1,500 metres in Sochi, completed the distance in 1.13.56. Silver and bronze went to Japan’s Nao Kodaira and Miho Takagi.

‘I don’t know what else I could have done. I think it was the perfect race,’ Ter Mors told broadcaster NOS. ‘I felt great, I did all I could, then it was just a question of waiting. I’m super happy.’

Dutch media described the win as a triumph for Ter Mors, who started the season with a knee injury and had to pull out of the World Cup with back trouble.

Ireen Wüst, who took gold in the 1,500 metres earlier in the competition, was ninth and Marrit Leenstra finished in sixth place.

The Netherlands is currently second in the medal table, behind Germany, with five gold, four silver and two bronze medals.

Tomorrow is the men’s 10,000 metres speed skating event with Sven Kramer and Jorrit Bergsma.