Cheered on by fiancé Jake Paul, Jutta Leerdam sped her way to Olympic gold – and a new Olympic record time – in the women’s 1,000m speed-skating event earlier this week.
Taking victory ahead of fellow Dutch athlete Femke Kok and Japan’s Miho Takagi, Leerdam broke down in tears as she crossed the finish line, shattering the Olympic record which Kok had set only moments earlier.
One Better Than Beijing
Jutta Leerdam is no stranger to the Olympic podium, having picked up a silver in the 1,000m at the Beijing 2022 Games behind Takagi.
Aside from the Olympics, she’s pretty much dominated the speed skating sprint events on both the global and European levels for the last five years.
She’s a multiple-time World Champion, having won the World Single Distance titles over 1,000m in 2020 and 2023, as well as the overall World Sprint Championship title in 2022.
She’s also claimed three major victories in Europe, winning the continental 1,000m championships in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
Is Double Gold a Possibility?
And Leerdam will be hoping to extend that dominance even further as she looks to claim her second Olympic title this weekend.
Leerdam will be racing in the 500m speed skating event on Sunday, 15 February. While she can’t be ruled out, her Dutch counterpart Femke Kok will be tough to beat, as will Takagi and reigning Olympic champion Erin Jackson.
It’s probably fair to say that Leerdam is a medal contender, rather than the favourite for Gold.
But, as we learned from Steven Bradbury in 2002, when it comes to speed skating, literally anything can happen – and Jutta Leerdam will be ready to pounce on any tiny slip-up her rivals might make.
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