Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong of the Netherlands won a surprising gold medal in the 1500-meter speed skating event at the Winter Olympics in Milan, finishing just 0.06 seconds ahead of Norwegian Ragne Wiklund. This victory marks her first Olympic gold, adding to her previous medals which include bronze in 2018 and 2022, and silver in team pursuit. Rijpma-de Jong completed her race in 1:54.09, and her win was confirmed after the favorite, Japanese skater Miho Takagi, failed to beat her time in the final round. This win makes her the fifth consecutive Dutch woman to win gold in the Olympic 1500m, following Ireen Wüst and others. Despite not being the top favorite, Rijpma-de Jong was considered a strong contender, especially after her recent performances in the World Cup. The event was notable for her strong opening, where she was almost half a second faster than her closest competitor, Wiklund. Femke Kok finished fifth in her Olympic debut, with a time of 1:54.79, and was seen as an outsider after recent record-breaking performances. The overall Olympic speed skating tournament is nearing its end, with the final mass start scheduled for Saturday.