Beijing Games 2022: German Speed skater Claudia Pechstein becomes the oldest female Winter Olympian at 49.

Speed skater Claudia Pechstein was the first woman to win medals at five consecutive Winter Games

Now German, is the oldest female athlete ever to compete at the Winter Olympics.

Pechstein, 49, is the only woman to compete in eight Winter Olympics and can reflect proudly on her record-breaking career despite finishing in last place in her event.

German speed skater Claudia Pechstein has become the oldest ever female Winter Olympian at 49 years of age.

Pechstein, competing in her eighth games, set the record when she raced in the 3000m speed skating event on Saturday.

Already the first woman to win five consecutive medals at the Winter Games, the 49-year-old Pechstein carried Germany's flag at Friday's opening ceremony, but came 20th and last in her event.

German: Claudia Pechstein, 49, the oldest female Winter Olympian

Pechstein carried the flag for Germany and, while she finished last in her event, can reflect proudly on a career that also saw her become the first woman to win medals at five consecutive Winter Games, starting in Albertville in 1992. She has a total of nine Olympic medals, including five golds.

1 -- The record of oldest female Winter Olympian was previously held by Anne Abernathy, a luger from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who was 48 when she competed at Salt Lake City in 2002.

2 -- Pechstein has now tied for the record of most Winter Olympic games, level on eight with Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai who retired after Pyeongchang four years ago.

3 -- The only downside for Pechstein on Saturday was that her own Olympic record in the 3000m - set 20 years ago in Salt Lake City - was broken by race winner Irene Schouten.

"The result of today was not so important, it was just to race and to be here. I am super proud," Pechstein said. "I was not too fast but I smiled because today I got my goal to race in my eighth Olympic Games. This was important for me."

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Via -- eurosport.com