Patrick Roest Eitrem claimed the gold medal in the men’s 5,000 meters speed skating event at the Winter Olympics, setting a new Olympic record of 6:03.95.
Schaatsen NL, a Dutch skating news outlet, reported on the race and results.
Earlier this season, Eitrem had already demonstrated exceptional form by becoming the first skater ever to complete the 5,000 meters in under six minutes, achieving a world record of 5:58.52 in Inzell during the World Cup. This established him as a top contender for Olympic gold, a status he confirmed with his strong performance on the Olympic ice.
The silver medal was won by Metoděj Jílek of the Czech Republic, who earned his nation’s first-ever Olympic speed skating medal in the men’s events. The previous best result for a Czech skater on this distance dated back to 1956, when Vladimir Kolar finished thirteenth representing Czechoslovakia.
The bronze medal went to Riccardo Lorello of Italy. His teammate Davide Ghiotto was leading near the end but ultimately was overtaken by Lorello in the final moments of the race, finishing just three-tenths of a second behind with a time of 6:09.57.
The Dutch team, traditionally strong in speed skating, did not reach the podium in this event. The best Dutch skater was Chris Huizinga, who finished seventh. Stijn van de Bunt placed ninth, and Marcel Bosker came in eleventh. After two days of competition, the Netherlands had not secured any medals in these Winter Games.
