Lesbian speed skater Ireen Wüst will bring the gold home to the
Netherlands after winning the gold medal in the women's 1,500-meter race on
Sunday.

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.