GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AP) — At 22, Dutch speedskating rookie Esmee Visser had to do some quick math to put the phenomenon that goes by the name of Claudia Pechstein into perspective.
Pechstein is still competing and will celebrate her 46th birthday at the Pyeongchang Olympics next week.
"This is as long as I have lived, and then I have to double it," Visser said as she struggled to put a finger on the German's sporting longevity.
And another gold medal could be in Pechstein's future.
The German great is among the favorites for Friday's 5,000 meters, a wide-open race in which Visser could be the toughest competition.