Jutta Leerdam secured her first Olympic title by winning the 1000 meter speed skating event in Milan, setting an Olympic record time of 1:12.31.
NOS, Netherlands.
The 27-year-old Dutch skater claimed gold ahead of compatriot Femke Kok, who took silver, and Japan’s Miho Takagi, who earned bronze. These were the first medals for the Netherlands at the current Winter Games. Earlier, Dutch athletes narrowly missed out on medals in the women’s 3000 meter and men’s 5000 meter long track speed skating events.
Leerdam entered the competition as the favourite in the 1000 meter distance, having won three of the four World Cup events she participated in during the past season. Despite strong competition from Takagi, who had won against Leerdam in the previous Olympics held in Beijing in 2022, and Kok, who also secured a World Cup win over 1000 meters recently, Leerdam maintained a clear lead in Milan.
Kok set a high standard early in the competition, posting a time of 1:12.59 after a strong start and a tactical race against former bronze medalist Brittany Bowe from the United States. The final race pitted Leerdam directly against Takagi, marking only their third head-to-head encounter in this event. Leerdam started quickly and established a lead she sustained throughout, finishing 0.28 seconds faster than Kok. Takagi finished third, over one and a half seconds behind Leerdam.
Jutta Schulting, a decorated short track champion making her long track Olympic debut, opened the competition with a time of 1:15.46. Although initially the fastest time, Schulting’s performance was below her expectations; she noted that her time would likely not be sufficient for a podium finish. Ultimately, she placed eighth overall as the top contenders improved on her time.
