Jorrit Bergsma secured a surprising gold medal in the Olympic mass start event, finishing solo after an early breakaway in Milan.
NOS, Netherlands
The 40-year-old Dutch skater made an early move in the race, joined briefly by Danish competitor Viktor Thorup. Together they established a significant lead, controlling the pace midway through the sixteen laps and gaining almost half a lap advantage. The chasing group, which included other medal contenders, delayed their pursuit and ultimately could not close the gap. Bergsma distanced Thorup later in the race and crossed the finish line alone, celebrating before the final stretch.
Fellow Dutch skater Stijn van de Bunt finished sixteenth after providing strategic support during the race, helping to manage the pace of the pack and control the efforts of other athletes. With Bergsma’s gold, the Dutch team has won nineteen medals at these Winter Games in Italy, setting a new record with nine gold medals for the Netherlands.
Later in the day, Dutch athletes Marijke Groenewoud and Bente Kerkhoff were scheduled to compete in the women’s mass start final.
