Who is Jutta Leerdam, the Dutch skating superstar who can now call herself Olympic champion?

By Ben Church, CNN

Milan, Italy (CNN) — As tears streamed down her face, Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam saw all her sporting dreams come true.

The speed skating superstar had not only won the women’s 1000m gold medal, but also set an Olympic record in the process.

It was a defining moment in the 27-year-old’s incredible career, which has seen her transcend the sport of speed skating.

“The only thing I could do today was skate fast. That is exactly what I did, and it resulted in something very nice,” Leerdam told reporters after her gold medal moment on Monday.

Above anything else, Leerdam is an elite speed skater who is part of a Dutch team that has dominated the sport of late.

She had already won a silver medal in the women’s 1000m speed skate at the Beijing Games in 2022, in addition to 12 world championship medals, including six golds.

But she’s become a huge name away from the ice, too. That’s mainly because of her giant social media presence and, more recently, her engagement to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

Leerdam has 5.5 million followers on Instagram and over two million on TikTok, where she regularly provides updates about her life and career.

It’s all led to her becoming a popular face on the speed skating circuit, with thousands of fans in Milan screaming whenever they spotted her around the track at the Milano Speed Skating Arena on Monday.

The noise amplified further when she stepped out to compete in the 1000m final, knowing she had to break the Olympic record set by teammate Femke Kok in the run just before hers.

“I do not think I ever felt as much pressure as today. But, on the other hand, I thrive off pressure. I always perform better under pressure,” she said.

“Femke’s time was super fast. It gave some pressure. But I also had respect for her and her time. If that was going to be the fastest time and I couldn’t skate faster, it would have been what it is.

“I did everything in my power to skate faster and it worked. I am super proud.”

Leerdam did, in fact, skate faster, setting a new Olympic record of 1:12.31.

After crossing the finish line, she had tears streaming down her face, with her hand over her mouth. She was then embraced by her coach, Kosta Poltavets, who later called Leerdam’s race a work of art.

“If he used those words, then it must be true,” Leerdam told reporters.

Her fiancé Jake Paul was also cheering from the stands and despite being filmed by everyone around him, he lived every moment of Leerdam’s race.

He was shown on the big screens, slumped in his chair, tears in his eyes and with a huge smile on his face. If there hadn’t been such a big drop from his seat to the ice, he almost certainly would have jumped down to celebrate with Leerdam.

The Dutch skater, and now Olympic champion, has a chance to win yet another medal while in Milan, in the women’s 500m on Sunday.

And while she’ll be aiming for another gold in the sprint race, she’s already content with her first Olympic success.

“The fact I am Olympic champion now still has to sink in,” she said. “I am very happy with this. It means a lot.”

The-CNN-Wire
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