Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands secured the gold medal in the women’s 1000m speed skating event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, surpassing an Olympic record set by her teammate Femke Kok moments earlier.
According to ISU Skating, Leerdam completed the race in 1 minute and 12.31 seconds, beating Kok’s Olympic record of 1:12.59 established in the penultimate pair. This achievement marked the fastest time ever recorded on a sea-level track. Defending champion Miho Takagi from Japan finished third, 1.64 seconds behind Leerdam.
Leerdam acknowledged the challenge posed by Kok’s outstanding performance, explaining that it helped reduce some of the pressure she felt. She focused on giving her maximum effort, which culminated in her faster finishing time. After crossing the finish line, she described feeling a mixture of disbelief and exhaustion but emphasized her determination not to let fatigue affect her performance during the race.
Coach Kosta Poltavets praised Leerdam’s race, describing it as ‘a work of art’ and highlighting the exceptional level of competition. Leerdam expressed gratitude for her coach’s confidence and said that she is currently focused on enjoying the moment of becoming an Olympic champion, without thinking about her future plans.
Miho Takagi, starting on the inner lane in the final pairing, initially took the lead briefly but was unable to maintain it. She expressed respect for her competitors and reflected on her own season’s struggles, noting that her condition is improving and looking forward to upcoming races at these Games, including the 500m, 1500m, and Team Pursuit events.
Femke Kok, after setting an Olympic record earlier, said she gave her best performance in the 1000m and was happy despite narrowly missing gold. She recognized that Leerdam had to skate exceptionally fast to take the title. Brittany Bowe of the United States, who finished fourth with a time of 1:14.55, commented on the challenge of competing against the dominant trio of Leerdam, Kok, and Takagi, who have shown consistent top performances throughout the season.
