Jutta Leerdam delivered a historic performance at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, clinching the gold medal in the women’s 1,000 meters with a new Olympic record and leading a dominant showing for the Netherlands. Leerdam, skating in the final pairing, clocked 1:12.31 which erased the previous record and secured her first Olympic gold medal.
Leerdam, a two-time world champion at the distance, faced defending Olympic champion Miho Takagi of Japan in the last heat. With a roaring sea of orange filling the stands, she maintained a smooth, controlled pace and pulled away late, finishing 0.28 seconds ahead of teammate Femke Kok. Kok took silver after briefly holding the Olympic record with a 1:12.59 earlier in the competition, while Takagi settled for bronze. The race marked the Netherlands’ first gold medal of the Games and continued a trend of record-breaking performances, with three Olympic records already set in speedskating at the temporary Milan venue.
American skaters Brittany Bowe and Erin Jackson narrowly missed the podium. Bowe, the world-record holder in the 1,000 meters, finished fourth, while Jackson placed sixth after briefly holding the early lead. Both will have another chance in the 500 meters later in the Games, with Jackson aiming to defend her Olympic title and Bowe skating in what she has said will be her final Olympic appearance.
The victory was especially emotional for Leerdam, who was competing in her second Olympics. She added the gold to the silver medal she earned in Beijing in 2022. After crossing the line, she collapsed against the barrier emotionally and blew kisses toward the stands, where her fiancé, boxer and internet personality Jake Paul, watched in tears.
Leerdam now turns her focus to the 500 meters, where she will look to add to an already decorated career that includes 12 world championship medals, six of them gold.
Editorial credit: Orange Pictures / Shutterstock.com
