40-Year-Old Dutch Skater Becomes Oldest Olympic Gold Winner

While most athletes hang up their skates long before 40, Jorrit Bergsma was too busy making history to even think about retirement.

The Dutch speedskater dominated the mass start event at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on Saturday, finishing so far ahead of the pack that he had time to blow kisses to fans, wave to the crowd, and soak in every second of his victory lap. At 40 years old, he became the oldest long track speedskating gold medalist in Olympic history by a huge margin.

The previous record holder was Ireen Wust, who won at 35 during the 2022 Beijing Games. Before her, the men's record had stood for nearly a century, set by Finland's Clas Thunberg at age 34 in 1928.

"I'm a 40-year-old guy. It is crazy. This one was really unexpected," Bergsma said afterward, his gold medal hanging around his neck.

The win was as strategic as it was stunning. When no other racers wanted to make the first move during the 16-lap race, Bergsma seized the opportunity. He and Denmark's Viktor Hald Thorup pulled away from the pack early, then Bergsma easily skated away from Thorup to claim gold.

"Nobody responded. Nobody wanted to close the gap for each other. I'm still mind blown that I won the gold medal here today," he said.

This wasn't Bergsma's first rodeo. He won gold in the 10,000 meters and bronze in the 5,000 at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, plus a silver in the 10,000 in 2018 and another bronze in that distance at these games.

Why This Inspires

Even competitors half his age couldn't help but celebrate Bergsma's achievement. Jordan Stolz, the 21-year-old American phenom who finished fourth after collecting two golds and a silver earlier in Milan, called the performance "super incredible."

Bob Corby, Stolz's coach, simply called it "pretty phenomenal." Meanwhile, 36-year-old American bronze medalist Mia Manganello joked that she didn't want her coach hearing about what Bergsma just accomplished at 40, since she'd planned to retire after these games.

"So well-deserved. He's a great racer, a great competitor," Manganello said. "It shows this sport has a lot of maturity and the longevity of it."

The Dutch fans certainly agreed, showing up in their signature orange outfits and even wearing mullet wigs to match Bergsma's iconic hairstyle.

Sometimes the best victories are the ones nobody sees coming, proving that passion and perseverance can outskate Father Time himself.