Speedskater Bart Swings Accomplishes An Olympics First For Belgium

Belgium is really good at beer and chocolate. But the Winter Olympics?

Not so much.

The nation had never won an individual Winter Games gold medal until speedskater Bart Swings made history on Saturday. (Watch the video below.)

Swings arrived first in a frantic finish of the mass-start even. Belgium’s only previous gold came in pairs figure skating in 1948.

Team Belgium made sure the world knew of Swings’ long-awaited feat on Twitter:

The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs game him a shoutout as well.

“I always want to raise the bar to the next level,” Swings said, per The Associated Press.

Swings won silver in the mass start at the 2018 Olympics.

“Now a gold medal following up on that silver is historical,” he told NBC. “It’s unbelievable. I’m looking forward to getting home with my family and friends.”