In his hometown of Rotterdam, former prime minister Ruud Lubbers died. He was 78 years old. Lubbers (7 May 1939) was the longest serving Prime Minister in the Netherlands. The CDA’er led three cabinets between 1982 and 1994, two with the VVD and one with the PvdA. He claimed to have a no-nonsense policy that was aimed at economic recovery and the reduction of the national debt.
He was known for more than just a few things, here are three highlights:
Ruud Shock
When he first entered the Torentje, he was just 43 years and with that, the youngest prime minister the Netherlands has ever known. Mark Rutte was just a few months older when he became prime minister.
A young Lubbers
The first Lubbers government was devoted to cutting the budget by billions. The national debt had risen to above 10 percent and the unemployment rate grew by 10,000 to 15,000 people per month. With his no-nonsense approach, he made Time’s cover. The magazine called him Ruud Shock.
Cruise missiles
On October the 29th of 1983 more than 550,000 people took to the streets to demonstrate against the placement of 48 cruise missiles in Woensdrecht. It was the biggest demonstration in Dutch history.
Two years later, the Cruise missiles protestors offered him 3.7 million signatures. When the prime minister gave a speech, the demonstrators massively turned his back on him, but he continued his speech. Kind of a bad ass moment and in the end he kind of ‘won’ the argument since one of the things that brought the Soviet Union down was their massive defense spending in order to keep up the arms race with the West.
Eyebrows (like a boss)
Just like yours truly, the man had massive epic eyebrows, look at them:
All jokes aside, Ruud Lubbers was our longest serving prime minister in tough economic times for the country, he will be missed.
Instagram is one of the most used Social Media platforms out there and we can understand why: Great for inspiration and pretty addictive too. Most of the time we are all a little bit too busy playing with our phones. If this sounds all too familiar to you then congratulations! You are one of us!
Whether you are on your way to school or work, sitting in the train; or simply just have some time to kill, then why not grab that phone (if you haven’t been just doing that already) and find us on Instagram?
We have been pretty busy with our account for quite some time now and shared some pretty great photography along the way. Great photos taken by some very talented artists we’d say. So, in order to spread the word, we’ve decided to bring some of them along. Well, all 10 of them to be exact. Enjoy! Oh and don’t forget to -if you’re not already- follow us on Instagram for new photos brought to you everyday!
We start our countdown with a photo from the snowy days we’ve experienced in the Netherlands. For a magical couple of days, the whole country was covered with snow. As a result there were many great photos captured by many awesome photographers, so it is not surprising to see this photo in the Top 10!
Amsterdam is iconic as it is and this scene is one of the best to admire the crooked rows of houses. Many are captured on Instagram but only a few made it to here!
Same houses, different angle. This photo of Amsterdam has it all: Perfect grey sky, reflection (as a result of the typical dutch weather) and a leaf to give it the perfect autumn touch!
Would like to see more of the pretty houses of Amsterdam? Wish no more! A canal, boat, houses by the water and a gloomy sky. It doesn’t get more Dutch than this photo!
For many, summer is a favourite season but for those who want to see the Netherlands in its usual state, I would recommend anyone to visit during autumn. Not only you might get to take a photo like this one, but you’ll also end up falling in love with this city!
Another snowy photo comes from Den Haag this time! Good enough to make us wish for more snow. Even though it means no trains, possibly falling a couple of times and still have to go to work.
Brugge! Even though not a photo of the Netherlands, this photo almost made it to the top. If you wish, you can read more about these inspirational streets of Brugge over at our article. As we’ve said before, perfect weekend trip!
We’ve made it folks! Number 1 of our “10 Most-Liked Photos on our Instagram Account” comes from Amsterdam during the recent snow and we can see why!
Hope you enjoyed seeing all the great photos shared at our account. Want to be a part of it? Follow our instagram account and tag us with #dutchreview be featured!
Oh and if you’re a fan of flashbacks, you can see the previous Top 10 as well!
So it looks as if Groningen (or possibly Leeuwarden) could have a high-speed train from Amsterdam. ProRail and NS are currently looking into the possibility of this train service. If it’s anything like the international high-speed train drama, then we will be waiting for a while for the high-speed train to Groningen.
As we all know, due to the population growth in general (because of course everyone wants to come to the Netherlands), there has been an increase of travelers coming from the North to the Randstad. The demand for a better train connection is what will drive this proposal forward.
So what are the plans? They will likely have them at rush hour, to try and half the journey time for commuters. There will also be fewer stops, to make it all go faster.
Technically, the speed of the train itself will also increase, not much else will be done. (Beats me why it takes so long then) In the end they’re looking to cut the traveling time between Amsterdam and the North in half.
It’s true – if you want to escape from the North for whatever reason, you’re looking at a lengthy train journey. It’s also really not great if you need to commute. Like I said earlier, we may have to wait a while as it needs to pass through with the Ministry of Infrastructure. A couple of years perhaps?
All of us waiting for the new service to start…
So let’s see what happens and fingers crossed that there will be a high-speed train to Groningen or Leeuwarden. It gives us more things to moan about anyway 😉
Yesterday I read somewhere that DutchReview only brings you happy and positive news on the Netherlands. Obviously this isn’t true and I wish they were also reading along in 2013 when the Dutch economy was in an abysmal state. Fact is, the Netherlands is doing great at the moment. (except for that housing shortage, that really is getting to be a big issue).
Highest economic growth in the Netherlands 10 years
The Dutch economy has not grown as fast as last year in ten years. Growth in 2017 was 3.1 percent compared to 2016, as is calculated by our statistical wizards at the CBS. The growth in the last three months decreased slightly, but is still solid at 2.9 percent. Investment and exports, in particular, contributed to the Dutch economic growth in the fourth quarter. Households consumed somewhat less stuff, but on the other hand the industry grew stronger.
More economic growth in the Netherlands also means more traffic (pic by Anthony Malefijt)
“The Dutch economy is in good shape”, says Minister Eric Wiebes of Economic Affairs and Climate. “Economic growth makes it possible for us to be able to meet major societal challenges such as the energy and climate transition and the high costs of healthcare, but we also want Dutch people to notice the growth themselves.” The economies of our neighboring countries have also grown strongly. The German economy, our most important trading partner, grew by 2.3 percent. And despite all the rumble from our British friends, their economy also grew by a nice 1,5%.
That debate now continues with Prime Minister Rutte as the opposition wants to know how long Rutte has been aware of the lie and why he has been silent about it for so long.
Here’s Minister Halbe Zijlstra tearing up at his farewell speech:
In his statement, Zijlstra described it as “the biggest mistake in my political life by far.” The Netherlands deserves a minister of foreign affairs who is beyond any doubt. “ Visibly emotionally he said that he sees no other option than to offer his resignation to the King. “I do that with regret in my heart, but with full conviction.”
Zijlstra said that he made the statement with a heavy heart. “I would have liked it differently, I was full of energy and plans.”
Minister Zijlstra had to resign because he wasn’t credible anymore
Yesterday Zijlstra offered apologies for his lie. Many opposition parties then concluded that the minister was no longer credible, which was also concluded here at DutchReview yesterday. The coalition parties initially defended Zijlstra, but today they did not want to say anything more about their support prior to the debate.
In the past, Zijlstra richly spoked for several times about his presence at a meeting in a Putin ‘Datcha’. The Russian President would have spoken about his desire to expand Russian territory with Ukraine, the Baltic States and possibly also Kazakhstan (‘would be nice to have’)
Yesterday, Zijlstra admitted that he was not present at that meeting at all. He had heard about former Shell CEO Jeroen van de Veer. In order to protect him as a source, Zijlstra, in his own words, just took the story for himself. Today Van der Veer announced that he was the source. He also said that Zijlstra had misinterpreted his words.
Besides all of this, we also got a nice meme from it all:
Big scandal in The Netherlands right now. On social media, the Dutch FM has become the laughing stock. Pictures like these circling around on twitter with the hashtag #HalbeWasThere. pic.twitter.com/EE6VODPMQ4
A favorite topic of conversation among Dutch internationals is without a doubt the Dutch healthcare system. People will inevitably discuss how each and every ailment is treated with paracetamol (from birth!) and complain about the -almost- impossibility of getting a prescription for antibiotics. However, I wanted to contest those popular views and write about how grateful I am for the Dutch healthcare system.
Yes the system is not perfect, and yes, insurance companies have a lot of power but it is not for nothing The Netherlands has yet again ranked as the best healthcare system in Europe* and is the only country which has consistently been among the top three in the total ranking of any European Index since 2005.
Here are the reasons I will forever be in debt and loudly praise the Dutch healthcare system:
There are 3 reasons who ı’ll be always a fan of the Dutch healthcare system
-Reason number 1:
If it weren’t for the Dutch healthcare system neither of my children would be here, period. My husband and I went through long years of trying to figure out why we were not able to conceive. We tried all the natural remedies, we travelled, we prayed, we went through every single test you can imagine. In the end we were referred to a fertility clinic and after being diagnosed with “unexplained infertility” and several rounds of IUI (intrauterine inseminations, for the curious) we attempted IVF (ICSI) and were finally able to have our beautiful daughter four years ago. With our second daughter we had to go through treatment again (though no more testing). This time it took us 3 fresh IVF cycles and a frozen one to achieve pregnancy. We did not have to pay a single thing out of our pocket.
-Reason number 2:
For reasons that remain unclear my first daughter was born extremely early, at 34 weeks. I had had a textbook pregnancy until then and there were no risk factors for premature birth. When my waters broke out of the blue and I had to be rushed to the hospital and put on bed rest with continuous monitoring until the birth of my girl everything was handled with outstanding professionality. My daughter then had to stay 3 weeks at the NICU while she reached a certain weight and learnt to suck and swallow.
For a week and a half of her stay, I was able to stay with her in the same room and the rest of the time we were able to see her 24 hrs. a day. As a premature child she had to have follow-up appointments with a neonatologist and a physiotherapist until age 2. I also received support from a lactation consultant pretty much since she came out and it was thanks to the advice and help I received that I was able to breastfeed her (in other countries they would just have said: “oh, she can’t swallow? She does not know how to take the breast? Here is the formula!”).
All the doctors, nurses and staff from the hospital were amazing. Kind, human, knowledgeable, available. I had panic attacks, I was going crazy. A young doctor doing his residency at the time spotted what was going on and went above and beyond (pediatricians are not supposed to help parents) and instructed me on how to handle them. The hospital was clean, the nurses attentive, we contantly got delicious snacks. Yes, really, even the hospital food was good. I remember that last meal before birth (grilled salmon with hollandaise sauce) and the first right after (the traditional “beschuit with muisjes” and vanilla vla, a typical dutch custard). And again, all of this was covered in full by the Dutch healthcare system.
-Reason number 3:
I have since seen some friends or their families go through difficult health issues and they have all received excellent care.
You see, the Dutch healthcare system is social but not fully. That means (private) health insurance is mandatory but people in a low-income situation may apply for subsidies and a part of your salary is automatically used to pay for healthcare. So, you do have to pay a monthly fee of 80-100 EUR per person (for the simplest option), except for children (until age 18) who are fully covered (for free).
Whenever anything happens the trick is actually to get a referral. There is a thing called triage, from the French “classify” and essentially, I think this is what your doctor (huisarts) does. He sees you, makes you wait and suck it for a few days (with advice to drink a lot and take paracetamol) until you remain sick for days and days thus demonstrating that you are in fact sick and get a referral to a specialist. There are a lot of discussions about the power health insurance companies have over medical doctors and how this affects their decisions. Doctors have to follow guidelines and protocols** and depending on the diagnosis they may give X or Y drug (active ingredient).
However, in some cases a family doctor does not have access to the same medications as a specialist. State-of-the-art, newer types of treatment are reserved for specialists. For instance, once it has been determined that you are going through a bacterial infection and thus require antibiotics, you will first be given an antibiotic of lower spectrum, and only if such a treatment does not work will you be given an antibiotic of larger spectrum, keeping the big guns for complicated cases. The Netherlands is the country in Europe that uses the least antibiotics, according to data from the CBS. This is not actually a bad thing, given the imminent danger of disease caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria.
I remember the first thing my Pathology teacher said was “the natural progression of all illness is towards healing”. Medicine in The Netherlands is very conservative and only if they in fact observe that your body is not curing itself will they get proactive about it.
There is also a lot of cultural stuff going on here, I believe. In Mexico, (a classist society) where I come from, medical doctors are seen almost as semi-Gods because it is usually highly educated people who were able to study for long years and so whatever they say you do and it must be right. People look at doctors with a very paternalistic attitude. Medicine also tends to be more aggressive, if you are sick there are things that can be done and they will be done.
Sadly, there is also an economic factor: more treatment, more analysis and more surgeries also mean higher earnings for the doctor (and his friends/colleagues). In the Netherlands, the system being social, many decisions are based on complicated risk-benefit-cost analysis, looking at a population level, not at the individual. Your relationship with the doctor is also more equalitarian. You are his customer, if you want something, you should request it the Dutch way: loud, open and clear. (for more on this read Olga Mecking’s famous article “How to talk to Dutch Doctors so that they’ll listen”). If you are starting to feel ill, call to inform your doctor immediately because at least it will be in the system and 3 days later, when you really can’t go on, there will be something registered. The trick to getting good quality care is to get a referral, and sometimes you need to get pushy.
As a friend , a doctor currently in his residency, said: “in Holland you are healthy until proven otherwise”.
*According to the Eurohealth consumer index done by Health consumer powerhouse (a leading comparison for assessing the performance of national healthcare systems in 35 countries. The EHCI analyses national healthcare on 46 indicators, looking into areas such as Patient Rights and Information, Access to Care, Treatment Outcomes, Range and Reach of Services, Prevention and use of Pharmaceuticals.) https://healthpowerhouse.com/publications/euro-health-consumer-index-2017/
** These guidelines are accessible to the public and can be consulted at the NHG (Nederlands huisartsen genootschap). https://www.nhg.org/thema/nhg-behandelrichtlijnen
Cheap tickets on direct trains from London to Amsterdam
The long living debate of whether taking the plane or choosing the train to travel has always been a lively one. The train companies must also be aware of that because we have been seeing more and more train connections to other countries. First came the closer ones, now comes the U.K. (yay!) After the mini teaser for the high-speed trains between to Brussels and London, we finally have more info about the future of the direct trains from London to Amsterdam (and back). BUT, as you’d expect from the DutchReview crew, we have questions: a whole 5 of them.
5 questions we have about the new connection
Question 1: When does it start?
It’s all fun and games to get everyone excited about anything that is related to new train lines and new ways of traveling between countries. All in all, not everyone wants to deal with the problems that come with flying. With U.K being so close yet so far away; the first question that comes to one’s mind is: When?
The answer seems to be (now, as far as we can tell) the 4th of April (update: today! ) With the new connection, Eurostar will provide passengers with two direct journeys from London to Amsterdam per day. The high-speed train will also stop at Rotterdam Centraal.
Question 2: How long is the journey?
The second question comes as no surprise: How long is the journey with these direct trains from London to Amsterdam?
From what we know, the journey will only take 3 hours and 1 minute of your time (Assuming there would be no delays of course). The way back will take about 4 hours and 40 minutes. Why longer? We’ll get to that later on.
Question 3: Let’s talk some money, how much will this cost?
Bye-bye $$$
The new direct train connection is a result of the extensive testing of the Dutch high-speed network and it has been costly! So it’s not surprising to assume that the ticket prices might not be so low. Well, according to the plans, prices for a one-way ticket will start from as low as 40 euros and the sale of these tickets started on February the 20th 2018. So be on the lookout!
Question 4: What about the return, from Amsterdam to London?
Dear Dutch trains, why are you doing this?
Okay, this is where things get tricky: What about the rides from Amsterdam to London?
That depends on the Dutch and British government. They have yet to come to an agreement on the passport control upon departure in the Netherlands (Brexit is probably also not going to help this issue forward).
While the talks are still ongoing; this means that there will be no direct service for the journey from Amsterdam to London. Instead, in order to make it to London, you will first make a trip to Brussels with the Thalys train. This is where a passport and security check will be carried out and then you can connect to a Eurostar train from Brussels to London.
Confusing? We wouldn’t expect otherwise! (Thanks for getting us all worked up evil train companies!)
Question 5: When will we know more?
The exact dates for knowing when and how we can travel from Amsterdam to London with a direct train still remains a mystery. The expected date seems to be by the end of 2019. But don’t let that bring you down from planning your next trip!
The Dutch German football rivalry: did it come to an end? Munich, 1974, Olympic Stadium. “They tricked us again!”. This famous outburst by tv commentator Herman Kuiphof said it all. The German football team had just scored 2-1 in the World Cup Final, after the Dutch had gone ahead.
The reference to the Second World War, the feeling that the Dutch had the best team (and better at football), but was going to lose the game all came together in that one single remark. The Dutch eventually lost the final, the Germans became world champions. A national trauma was born, it was the zenith of the Dutch German football rivalry.
The moment the Dutch thought they were World Champions: Johan Neeskens scoring 1-0 against West-Germany
Dutch German football rivalry: smear campaign
The 1974 Dutch national football team stunned the world. Guided by their captain and one of the best players in the world, Johan Cruijff, the Dutch played a new kind of football, the famous total football. Thought of and invented by their coach, Rinus Michels, and perfectly executed on the pitch, the Dutch had played some terrific matches, scoring a lot of goals. They dominated the tournament.
The final was reached and the opponent was West-Germany. In the days leading up to the final the psychological warfare started. The Dutch were arrogant and convinced they were going to win. The German press, mainly Bild Zeitung, started a smear campaign. “As far as I am concerned, it is war now,” Rinus Michels said at a press conference.
The best Dutch football player ever, Johan Cruijff, runs past two German players in the first minute of the 1974 World Cup Final
Dutch German football rivalry: historic defeat
“We wanted to humiliate them”. Famous words from Dutch midfielder Willem van Hanegem years after the game. He considers it the biggest mistake the Dutch made in the final. After going 1-0 up in the first minute of the game, a penalty scored by Johan Neeskens, the Dutch passed the ball around, for lengths of time.
Instead of pushing on, they wanted to humiliate the Germans, for being German, for the Second World War. But something else happened. The German footballers regained their ground, recollected their motivation and went for it. They scored 1-1, a still dubiously considered penalty, and then their striker, Gerd Muller, scored 2-1, just before halftime. Leaving the Dutch team in disarray about what had happened.
In the second half the Dutch tried everything to give the game a different result, but they failed. The final whistle blew away their dreams of becoming world champions. What could have been the most historic event in Dutch football, became a national trauma. Referred to as ‘1974’ from then on. Just that year, and everybody in the Netherlands knew what was meant.
Dutch German football rivalry: justice, at last
Fourteen years later, a new generation of Dutch football players, is coming of age. The likes of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman form the backbone of a new Dutch football team. After years of missing out on tournaments the Dutch qualify for the European Championships in West-Germany.
Led by their coach, Rinus Michels, they reach the semi-final, where their opponent will be……West-Germany. The game, which takes place in Hamburg, would become historic for the Dutch. After getting behind, the Dutch manage to get the 1-1 and then, almost in the last minute of the game, Dutch striker, Marco van Basten, scores 2-1. Again a Dutch tv commentator, Evert ten Napel, says what everybody in the Netherlands is thinking: “Justice, at last!”. The Dutch reached the final against the Soviet Union and would go on to win their only trophy to date, European Champions of 1988.
Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten in the final of the 1988 European Championships
Dutch German football rivalry: nice guys
In general the Dutch never liked the way Germany played. Using tricks like diving, trying to trick opponents in getting a yellow card, playing very defensively, never playing the game how it should be, it was always considered to be a dirty way of trying to win games. But they always did.
Germans players in the seventies, like Beckenbauer, Muller, Holzenbein and others were hated. And their equivalents in the eighties, like Klinsmann, Matthaus and Voller even more. Dutch boys grew up with this innate idea about German football; they’ll always be the enemy.
That has changed profoundly. After the German team performed poorly at tournaments between 1994 and 2000 the German Football Association decided to completely renew German football. A massive program was started on developing technical, and tactical skills in young players. The way German teams played changed. It was much more focussed on ball possession, a quick passing game, highly technical players and dominating the game.
It paid out. The German football team would reach several tournament finals and eventually became World Champions in 2014. In a style that everybody liked. Even the people in the Netherlands. Long gone were the times that the Dutch wanted the Germans to lose pretty much any game they played. These new German teams played exciting football, had some amazing players, who were actually pretty nice guys.
The whole attitude changed, and the Dutch started to gain respect for German football in ways their fathers and grandfathers could never have imagined. But they do. It’s been a long road since 1974, but the Dutch have to admit now: we like German football.
What do you think of the Dutch German Football Rivalry? Has it changed or is it still around? Let us know in the comments below!
Coming soon: Automatic registration for organ donation in the Netherlands
Two weeks ago, Dutch politicians started debating a proposal from Fall 2017 by the D66: how should the public register for organ donation (orgaandonatiewet)?
Today, the vote is in: 38 – 36. The current opt-in system is going to change, and now folks will need to opt-out in order to de-register from organ donation by default. Unsurpsrisingly, the vote today divided individual parties in their votes for and against the law.
So what does it mean to “opt-in” or “opt-out”?
What is the system for organ donation in the Netherlands now? Opt-in
The default is that people are not registered as organ donors. Then, they can choose to be added to the registry. Currently, 3.5 million people in the Netherlands are registered organ donors (that’s roughly 1 in 5 inhabitants).
Have you opted-in?
This is the current system in the Netherlands. If you’re ready and willing to be an organ donor — and really just can’t wait for the orgaandonatiewet to start to automatically enroll you — you can register now by logging on to your DigiD and sign up here. If you know enough Dutch or have a Dutch-speaking friend to translate, it’s easy. If you have none of the above, then go here to watch this 2-minute videowhile you are filling out the online form. You can register if you are at least 12-years-old and registered in the Netherlands. (This means expats are included!)
Ja, ik geef toestemming.
Issues with the current system
Believe it or not, this process is actually sort of prohibitive. If you’ve been wanting to be an organ donor, did you just open a website, log in to your DigiD and flip through the four webpages needed to register? No?
Although going to a website doesn’t seem like much effort, it’s like the “out of sight, out of mind” phenomenon. Nowhere in any of my registration or license exchange procedures in the Netherlands did anyone ever ask me whether I wanted to be an organ donor. I saw the pamphlet at my local gemeente office, but since I didn’t know enough Dutch then, I didn’t initially sign up. (Full disclosure: I just registered while writing this piece.)
For comparison, it was far easier to sign up as an organ donor in the US. When I obtained my first driver’s license when I was 16, I checked “Yes” on my paper application. A sticker was placed on my license (the sticker subsequently was replaced with a printed icon directly on the card). Then, whenever I renew my license, the renewal application confirms if I still wanted to be an organ donor.
Both systems are passive, opt-in approaches, requiring the potential donor to seek out registration. Whether that be with assistance (as in the US) or not (as in the Netherlands, for now).
What is the future of organ donation registration in the Netherlands? Opt-out
The default is that people are registered as organ donors. Then, they can choose to be removed from the registry. This is what was just decided. Today.
The concepts of opt-in and opt-out programs in health care are most commonly known with respect to HIV testing. This is in areas where it is common enough to warrant it. The intent is that the benefits to the individual and population of such opt-out testing outweigh the drawbacks.
On the issue of organ donation, naturally, the principles differ. The nature and ethics of the health issue is different. HIV is a communicable disease and having HIV still carries stigma. On the other hand, organ donation involves death and the sacredness of the individual human body. For both, they can be highly political, and for organ donation, anything to try to increase the quantity of limited resources (organs, of course) is the key.
Here are some interesting testimonies from Ireland, which reflect some of the commonest arguments against and comments about a possible opt-out organ donor registry.
Other options
In Australia, the Organ and Tissue Authority didn’t implement an opt-out program, but implemented many other interventions to try to increase the number of organ donors. These included: a public awareness campaign, more training of health professionals to discuss organ donation at the right times with patients and families, arranging paired live organ donation, and paid time off for live tissue donors. All great ideas, and effective according to them. But also probably a lot slower to have the desired effect, for better or worse. This is depending on which side of the opt-in/opt-out debate you are one.
Also, keep in mind that the orgaandonatiewet also indicates that it would apply only to people 18 years and older, so presumably the arrangement for children under 18 won’t change.
For expats 18 years and older, it’s not clear if the new law will include you, so perhaps better to go the old-fashioned way via DigiD to declare one way or another whether you wish to register as a donor or not.
If you still want more information about organ donation in the Netherlands, read the online brochure that goes into detail about which organs donated are used for what purposes or check this site.
In the meantime, until the orgaandonatiewet is in effect, if you want to register, don’t wait. Take the two minutes to do it. Now.
Ireen Wüst has set up a unique series at the Olympic Games. The 31-year-old speed skater conquered a gold medal in her fourth Winter Games in a row, her fifth gold in total.
Wüst triumphed on the ice rink in Gangneung on the 1,500 meters. With 1.54.35 on the timer, the Dutch kept all competitors behind her. It is for Wüst, who already won silver in South Korea on the 3,000 meters, her tenth medal in total. How awesome is this?! She is the only skater with ten Olympic medals.
She won her first gold exactly twelve years ago and after the 1,500 meters race of today she announced that this was her last Olympic Games. Marrit Leenstra finished third and took her first individual medal at the Games.
So surely we top the chart now again? Netherlands first right?
