During the current Olympic Games, most Dutch skaters have made time to share their experiences with the media, providing updates on their progress in long track and short track events, though some athletes have been more reserved.
Schaatsen.nl, a Dutch skating news outlet, reports on the varying degrees of media engagement among TeamNL skaters during the Games.
Throughout the Olympics, it was not always guaranteed that skaters would have the opportunity each day to speak about their competitions, whether on the long track or the short track. Media coordinators from NOC*NSF worked diligently to organize moments for athletes to provide updates. Notably, the Saturday morning training session for short track skaters was followed by an extended press meeting in the mixed zone. Athletes like Jens van ’t Wout spoke to multiple journalists calmly, while sprint specialist Xandra Velzeboer took about twenty minutes to discuss her final preparations. Other participants such as Teun Boer, Itzhak de Laat, Michelle Velzeboer, and Selma Poutsma also shared insights, reflecting a general willingness among TeamNL athletes competing on the long track over the next two weeks to engage with the media.
One exception in the past week was Jutta Leerdam, who did not make time to speak with journalists. While it remains unclear whether this was due to scheduling conflicts or personal choice, her social media accounts were active, posting content unrelated to competition updates, including posts about her dog and her private jet flight to the Games. Despite repeated queries, Leerdam did not explain her ongoing silence toward the press.
On Saturday afternoon, there was a brief moment when Leerdam appeared open to discussing her upcoming Monday race after internal discussions. However, following a short interview with the NOS broadcaster, she reversed that decision. Whether her stance will change after her competition remains to be seen. Achieving a gold medal, which would likely alter the circumstances, is expected to be a challenging task, as such victories seldom come easily.
