40-year-old Jorrit Bergsma becomes the oldest Olympic speedskating gold medalist

Jorrit Bergsma  [AP Photo]

Jorrit Bergsma spread his arms wide down the backstretch of speedskating›s mass start event at the Milan Cortina Games. He blew kisses to the loud Dutch fans shouting in their orange outfits and wearing their mullet wigs to match his hairstyle. He even applauded right back at them.

Bergsma was so far ahead of everyone else Saturday that he was able to really enjoy and celebrate becoming, at 40, by far the oldest long track speedskating gold medalist in Olympic history.

“Unbelievable. Unbelievable,” Bergsma said later, his medal hanging from his neck. “I’m a 40-year-old guy. … It is crazy. This one was really unexpected.”

The oldest previous Olympic champion in long track was Ireen Wust, who was 35 when she won the 1,500 meters for Netherlands at the 2022 Beijing Games. The record for oldest man had stood for nearly a century: It belonged to Clas Thunberg, who was 34 when he won the 1,500 for Finland at the 1928 St. Moritz Olympics.

“It’s super incredible,” said Jordan Stolz, the 21-year-old American who is about half of Bergsma’s age and finished fourth Saturday after collecting two golds and a silver earlier in Milan. “He’s super nice, super relaxed.”

Stolz’s coach, Bob Corby, called Bergsma’s performance “pretty phenomenal.”

Stolz was surprised none of the other racers back in the main pack during the 16-lap race wanted to try to chase down Bergsma, who took a big early lead with eventual silver medalist Viktor Hald Thorup of Denmark.

Bergsma was pretty stunned, too.

After that duo had pulled away, Bergsma easily skated away from Thorup.

“I knew … this final is going to be a tough one. It’s going to be a tough cookie. Nobody wanted to do the first move, so I did it,” said Bergsma, this season’s World Cup champion in the mass start. “I didn’t expect it. Nobody responded. Nobody wanted to close the gap for each other. I’m still mind blown that I won the gold medal here today.”

This title comes a dozen years after he won the gold in the 10,000 meters and a bronze in the 5,000 at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. His career haul also includes a silver in the 10,000 in 2018, and a bronze at that distance this time.

Other racers were impressed to see him get this medal at this age.

Mia Manganello, the 36-year-old American who took bronze in the women’s mass start behind Marijke Goenewoud of the Netherlands, joked after what she had said would be the final race of her career that she didn’t want anyone to mention to her coach that Bergsma just showed what can be done at 40.

“So well-deserved. He’s a great racer, a great competitor,” Manganello said. “It shows this sport has a lot of maturity and the longevity of it.” HOWARD FENDRICH, MILAN, MDT/AP