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#LGBTInnovators - Dutch Speed Skater Ireen Wust

12th February 2016

#LGBTInnovators - Dutch Speed Skater Ireen Wust

Ireen Wüst is a Dutch long track allround speed skater.

At the age of 19, on 12 February 2006, Wüst won the gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games 3000-meter event. She is the youngest Dutch Olympic champion in Winter Games history. Four years later in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games she won the 1500-meter event. In the 2014 Winter Olympic Games she won 2 gold and 3 silver medals.

She is the most successful athlete of the Netherlands at the Winter Olympics. She is also a five-time world allround champion, a nine-time world single distance champion, and a four-time European allround champion. In 2014 she was elected by Reuters as the Sportswoman of the World!

Wüst is openly bisexual, coming out publicly in 2009. Wüst prefers to talk about her sport that her private life. Famously saying in an interview:

“I want to talk about ice skating. You are not asking [Dutch speedskater] Sven Kramer about how his relationship is going. So why would you ask me? If I would’ve had a relationship with a guy, you wouldn’t have asked me either.”

Leap Sports is spotlighting #LGBTInnovators in sport throughout LGBT History Month this February. We will celebrate a different LGBTI innovator in sport each day. LGBTI sports innovators include athletes, competitors, coaches, managers, community members, founders or co-ordinators of sports groups, someone passionate about their sport.

Got an LGBTI innovator in sport that you would like to shine a light on?

Use your imagination and join the conversation using the hashtag #LGBTInnovators on Twitter @Leapsports and Facebook facebook.com/leapsports

Find out more about LGBT History Month at www.lgbthistory.org.uk

Written on 12th February 2016.