Bart Swings became the first Belgian to win Winter Olympic gold in 74 years after his victory in the men's mass start ©Getty Images

Belgium and the Netherlands both won mass start speed skating gold on the final day of competition at the Ice Ribbon at Beijing 2022.

Belgium’s Bart Swings, silver medallist four years ago, upgraded to gold in the men’s race with a time of 7min 47.11sec.

Behind him a photo was needed to separate the two South Koreans Chung Jae-won, who took silver in 7:47.18, and bronze medallist Lee Seung Hoon in 7:47.204.

Swings was the first Belgian Winter Olympic champion since pairs skaters Micheline Lannoy and Pierre Baugniet won gold at the 1948 Games in St Moritz.

"After the last Olympics I said, I've got a silver medal, I'm super happy," Swings said.

"I always want to raise the bar to the next level and after silver comes gold.

"I knew it was ambitious and a dream to work towards and that today everything could happen."

Irene Schouten had won the first gold in speed skating a fortnight ago over 3,000m, but added the 5,000m and ended her Olympic campaign with victory in the very last event. 

She won in a dramatic race for the line clocking 8:14.73 to just edge out Ivanie Blondin of Canada in 8:14.79.

Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida was third in 8:14.98.

"With just 500m to go, I thought, 'this is going too slow, I have to go faster now'," Schouten said.

Irene Schouten claimed her third gold medal of Beijing 2022 in the women's speed skating mass start ©Getty Images
Irene Schouten claimed her third gold medal of Beijing 2022 in the women's speed skating mass start ©Getty Images

"When I came out of the final corner, I felt like I had more speed than Ivanie," she added.

"I just flew over that finish line, it's just amazing."

Schouten became only the second woman to win three speed skating gold medals at the same event after her compatriot Yvonne van Gennip back in 1988.

Pyeongchang 2018 gold medallist Nana Takagi had crashed out in the semi final. 

"I take full responsibility for my falls, I haven’t raced for two seasons, not familiar with the ice," Takagi said.

"I guess I put myself in too hard a position and the whole situation just got the best of me."