At her fourth Olympic Games, Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong (NED) finally managed to seize gold. After her Team Pursuit silver on Tuesday, the 30-year-old Dutchwoman stood on the highest podium spot in the 1500m on Friday.

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) took her third medal after silver in the 3000m and bronze in the 5000m, while Valérie Maltais (CAN) also conquered a third medal after third place in the 3000m and gold in the Team Pursuit.

Coming in as the main favorite, Miho Takagi (JPN) was not able to live up to the expectations, finishing sixth at 0.77s from the winner. 

Ragne Wiklund (NOR), Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong (NED) and Valerie Maltais (CAN) celebrate after Friday's race © Getty Images

Rijpma-De Jong at last

Rijpma-De Jong skated in the penultimate pairing versus Brittany Bowe (USA). Wiklund had posted the fastest time so far in 1 minute and 54.15s. Rijpma-De Jong was 0.42s faster at the 300m split, and struggled the whole race to stay ahead. 

At the 1100m split, she was 0.01s slower than Wiklund, but pair-mate Bowe provided her a lifeline. The 37-year-old American was a little ahead at the 1100m split and, coming from the outer lane, Rijpma-De Jong was able to chase her down on the final backstretch.

Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong secured her first ever Olympic gold medal with victory in the 1500m © Getty Images 

"I knew I had to keep on fighting, and now I had the extra trigger (chasing Bowe) in the final lap,” Rijpma-De Jong explained.

"She (Bowe) is coming from the 1000 meter, so she had more speed in the beginning. 

"I had to start full, and I had a good first 300m, then it's the corner and the crossing straight. I thought, okay: I have to go full gas to that third inner lane and that I generated more speed, but then she had a good (the draft at) the crossing straight and I knew I needed to focus on the last lap. I had to fight for every second."

Rijpma-De Jong took her first Olympic gold medal after already having bagged three bronzes and two silvers since her Olympic debut in 2014 at the Games in Sochi.

"I always had this dream as a little girl to become an Olympic Champion and to finally do it at age 30, after four Olympic Games,” she added.

"I was really happy with that silver medal in the Team Pursuit (on Tuesday), because I thought, now there's only one chance left, because you never know what the world is going to look like four years from now. I'm not planning to quit yet, but no one knows what the future holds in store." 

Bowe takes three fourth places in farewell campaign

At the line, Rijpma-De Jong was 0.06s faster than Wiklund. Bowe crossed the line 0.61s behind the winner to take her third fourth-place finish in Milan after she had already posted the same result in the 1000m and in the Team Pursuit. 

"Fourth place three times this Olympics is heartbreaking," Bowe said. "We're all out here trying to get on that podium and to see my pair finished first, to see the gap between myself and not just a podium finish, but the top spot, is tough as a competitor.”

Brittany Bowe (USA) waves to spectators after competing in Friday's 1500m in Milan © Getty Images

Bowe skated her last Olympic race, and despite the result, she enjoyed the appreciation she received from the mostly orange crowd when she was announced at the start line.

"It's unbelievable. I've had the privilege of skating in front of all the Dutch fans for so long, and to be able to skate in front of them is a dream come true every single time."

Bowe also thanked coach Ryan Shimabukuro.

"When I embraced him, we both just said we love each other,” she said. “He's so proud of me, and I just told him, thank you. 

"His coaching and his leadership have shaped me into the woman I am today.

"Speed skating has shaped me into the person I am. It's so sad, but it's also so great that I'm able to finish on my own terms, because a lot of athletes don't have that opportunity."

Wiklund trades pressure for fun

Wiklund collected her third medal in Milan. She found it difficult to label her favorite out of the three.

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) took silver in Milan on Friday © Getty Images

"I think either today, or the 3000m (silver),” she said. “It was such a relief, just to be able to put the pressure away for a while. To reset towards the next distances. But today was also so (much) fun.”

Watching the two final pairings, after she had set her own time, was nerve-wracking.

"Before she (Rijpma-De Jong) started, I was pretty certain that she would take my time. I didn't think it would be enough for the gold medal. When there was one more lap, I was a bit like, 'hmm, maybe I do have a shot'. But I knew my last 100m wasn't that good, I made a few mistakes, and it showed."

Maltais keeps focus

When Wiklund took the ice in the 13^th of 15 pairings, Maltais had been the only one to beat Femke Kok (NED), who had stopped the clock at 1:54.79, skating on her own in the first heat. The winner of the 500m had approached the 500m from a sprinter's perspective: start flat-out and see what happens.

After her explosive start, Kok faded in the last lap, however. Her time of 1 minute and 54.79s eventually got her into fifth place. 

Maltais took the opposite approach.

Valérie Maltais (CAN) took bronze in the 1500m © Getty Images

"When I was watching the races yesterday (the men's 1500m in which four skaters beat the previous Olympic Record), I was like, okay, I need to go out fast.

"I think the ice is good quality, but a little bit slower than what it was at the beginning of the games. 

"When I started my race today and I saw my first lap time, I was like: oh maybe it's not that fast, but I felt strong the whole race."

Maltais posted the fastest final lap of the field to finish in 1:54.40.

Going into the Olympics, she had aimed at one individual medal and retaining the Team Pursuit Title. After her bronze in the 3000m, she had adjusted that ambition."After the 3000m I told my mental performance coach that I felt so good and he said: how about instead of aiming for an individual medal, aim for individual medals?

"Changing this mindset kept me focused throughout these games. I'm racing from the first day to the last day. 

"I never checked out. After my 3000m and after the gold medal (in Team Pursuit), we did the whole media thing, but I went back home right after, and I was like: I need to go to sleep. I have a 1500m and I want to just focus with the intention that we're going to celebrate for real after these Games."

After her 1500m, Maltais did not plan to party either, because she'll aim for silverware in the Mass Start on Saturday, too. 

Takagi lacks stamina

For Takagi, the 1500m ended in disappointment. Whereas Maltais had won her medal in the final lap, that was where the Japanese skater lost it. 

Takagi posted similar lap times as Kok up until the 1100m split, but she too faded in the final lap.

Miho Takagi (JPN) finished sixth on Friday © Getty Images

"I wanted to win,” she explained. “Trying to control myself and rely on a strong finish did not feel realistic. If I want to skate faster, it is easier to produce a good time by attacking rather than defending, so that is why I chose an aggressive race.

"From 300m to 700m, it felt like the best section I have had this season. That is why I do not think it (the race plan) was a mistake. It was just a lack of ability. This result reflects that. In the last part, my stepping and my stamina were not enough."